Councils urged to ignore BBC claims

A trade boss has written to 100 councils in northern England urging them not to be misled by a BBC Panorama programme that implied minimum pricing operates in Oldham.

British Beer & Pub Association regional secretary Lee Le Clercq says the programme suggested Oldham council was trying to push through a minimum 75p selling price with the threat of Draconian licensing conditions on pubs that failed to toe the line.

The rules — which include post office-style queues, limits on bar orders and paid-for policing — were flagged up by Panorama as rigorous conditions for operating future drinks promotions.

But Le Clercq stressed the council had no powers to impose minimum pricing and not a single bar currently operates the punitive conditions.

In fact its licensing policy states: "The Authority will not use the Licensing Policy to control prices or hinder free and fair competition in licensed trade."

Le Clercq said: "We are concerned that other licensing authorities watching this programme might be tempted to go the same way. I have written to them pointing all this out and asked them to contact Oldham to get a handle on what is really going on."

Noctis executive director Paul Smith, whose interview was cut from the show, said: "We could spend the next two or three years fighting this, because the reality of the situation has been misrepresented."

Last Monday's Panorama, The Truth About Happy Hour, was forced to stage- manage a mock-up bar outside Oldham to demonstrate the new-style trading conditions, as no town-centre pub was prepared to co-operate.

The MA understands that 16 premises of the 22 sites earmarked by the council have reached a voluntary agreement on promotions with no Draconian conditions included.

Five more have yet to talk to the council, while one pub, the Old Mess House, successfully contested the conditions at review.

Next week the BBPA and Noctis are to meet Oldham officials to discuss town-centre licensing issues.