Campaign chief welcomes homophobic attacker's sentence

The prosecution of a man who attacked a pub worker after being refused service for being drunk has been welcomed by the head of the Court Not Caution campaign.

Steve Baker, chairman of National Pubwatch, praised Thames Valley Police for "responding positively" after 20-year-old barman Thomas James was on the receiving end of homophobic taunts and physically assaulted.

James was working at the Crown and Thistle pub in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, on October 2 when he refused to serve a group of men.

In response Nathan Ponting, 25, shouted homophobic abuse and pushed James in the chest.

At Didcot Magistrates' Court last month, Ponting was given 80-hours community service and banned from the pub for 12 months after pleading guilty to assault.

He is also banned from other Abingdon pubs that are signed up to Pubwatch.

Baker said he was pleased with the result which comes after Thames Valley Police vowed to support the Court Not Caution campaign aims of taking attacks on pub workers seriously.

He said: "We believe that everyone working and socialising in our towns and cities deserves to do so in safety.

"It makes sense that the police respond positively when bar and pub staff are assaulted doing their job. They hold the key to preventing many of the problems associated with alcohol and they need to feel confident that the criminal justice system will support them if things go wrong.

"I'm extremely grateful for the lead taken by Thames Valley Police in responding to some of the issues raised in our Court Not Caution campaign."