Trade outrage over plastic pint glass plan

Government plans to produce a new type of plastic pint glass for pubs have provoked outrage from the trade.

Licensees, trade and consumer groups have all attacked proposals for an alternative pint glass, announced by the Home Office last week.

An agency has been commissioned to come up with designs to crack down on glass-related assaults and two prototypes are expected to be unveiled in December.

And while the Home Office says the new design will not be mandatory many in the trade remain concerned.

British Beer & Pub Association communications manager Neil Williams said: "They will need to come up with the holy grail of something that looks and feels like glass, but doesn't break into pieces.

"We would strongly resist a blanket approach that would add to costs and diminish the drinking experience in the thousands and premises that don't need to do this."

And licensee Nigel Barker, of real ale pub, the Wellington, in Birmingham, said the plans could be the "thin end of the wedge".

"The government should stop responding to scare-mongering and instead be checking pubs are being run by decent licensees.

"We sell a quality product and we want to sell it from a proper glass."

Iain Lowe, CAMRA's research and information manager, branded plastic a "very poor substitute" for glass.

"There may be somewhere an unbreakable material which is suitable and has the same characteristics as glass.

"Until then, we urge the government to let beer drinkers keep their pint, half and third-pint glasses, and not overburden the licensed trade further by putting more costs upon the community pub."

Official figures show there are 87,000 violent incidents a year involving glass. Home Office minister Alan Campbell said the new design would reduce this figure.

"Innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime by a third since 1997.

"This project will see those same skills applied to the dangerous and costly issue of alcohol-related crime and I am confident that it will lead to similar successes."

The Home Office brief indicates themes the design team will consider producing. These include a new composite material that is "not inferior in the eyes of the consumer", help change consumer attitudes towards plastic and polycarbonates and adding a material to glass to make it less likely to break.