Trade chief attacks police over 'partnership'
Trade chief Alex Salussolia has accused the police of doing a U-turn over extended pub hours and going after pubs in a bid to 'appease the anti-pub lobby'.
Salussolia, chairman of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, will tell the group's annual conference today that police who were once in favour of flexible hours now seem to oppose every variation and new premises.
It takes two to tango and you don't want a partner that treads on your toes Alex Salussolia, chairman of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.
Salussolia says there seems to be national policy for everything - from opposing Temporary Event Notices to supporting the universal provision of plastic glasses or "polycarbonates as we must now learn to call them".
He also says the upcoming 'sting' cycle has "the avowed intention of closing pubs down - perhaps to appease some political agenda that the Licensing Act and the Violent Crime Reduction Act have the teeth promised by government to assuage the anti-pub lobby".
Alex Salussolia says in his speech: "The police will be offended by these thoughts but ….our industry is being asked to take a partnership approach to the many challenges that face us. It takes two to tango and you don't want a partner that treads on your toes."
However, he believes the solution still lies in the industry's hands and encourages operators to be doubly vigilant on underage drinking and other crime and disorder issues.
He suggests building good relations with local licensing officers and lobbying others to promote the contribution and role of the British pub.
