A council has backed a pub's anti drink-driving initiative, following a stand-off over licensing bureaucracy. The White Horse in Epsom, Surrey offered free car rides home to customers, provided they spent £20 or more in the pub.
The scheme was launched over Christmas to combat drink-driving, but licensee Stuart Down was contacted by Epsom council almost immediately and told that he would have to stop driving customers home, as he lacked the correct taxi licence.
Now the scheme has been relaunched, with the condition of spending over £20 removed and replaced by a message that lifts home will be "at the manager's discretion".
Down has criticised the council's over-zealous response, and said that it has left him out of pocket. "It's a pain in the backside because we spent a fortune getting the advertising out for the scheme," he said.
"The silly thing is that a lot of regulars have been shopping, come in for just a glass of wine and asked for a lift home, and it's been no problem at all. We tried to make clear to the council that the reason for putting a monetary value on the advertising was to stop people taking advantage by having a glass of water, and demanding a lift home."
Epsom council, meanwhile has claimed that they had no option but to intervene. A spokeswoman said: "Our problem related to the definition of a taxi service, which we don't have any choice in, as it's the law. Because the licensee stipulated that customers had to spend a minimum of £20 means that in a way, the licensee was taking an indirect payment."