Assaults against bar staff on the rise
A growing number of bar staff are being verbally threatened and assaulted for refusing to serve underage drinkers, delegates at the British Beer & Pub Association key-issues forum were told.
BBPA communications director Mark Hastings said there were increasing reports of attacks on staff, but few cases of the culprits being prosecuted.
It is time to prosecute people who assault licensees and bar staff when they refuse service to customersMark Hastings, BBPA
"Licensees caught serving underage drinkers face large fines and the loss of their licence so there is a huge imbalance," Hastings said.
Bar staff were now under huge pressure because of the increased use of "sting" operations by the police and trading standards.
"It is time to prosecute people who assault licensees and bar staff when they refuse service to customers," he added.
Hastings was reporting on the Government's updated Alcohol Strategy, which he said threatened to put more pressure on the trade to address binge drinking and alcohol misuse.
He said the trade was unfairly taking the rap for problems of binge drinking and alcohol-related disorder.
"Police want to target the industry even though a large amount of drinking takes place in the home before people even visit a pub or bar," Hastings said.
Marston's Inns & Taverns managing director Derek Andrew said: "Taxing responsible pub operators is not going to solve the problem of 14-year-olds from sink estates drinking.
"It's not so much an issue of pubs serving drunks, it's an issue of control and parenting," he said.
