Young's defends host in row over serving Best
by John Harrington London-based brewer Young's has defended its decision to serve alcohol to recovering alcoholic George Best. The ex-footballer, who is 57 and was given a new liver last year, spent last week drinking wine at the Chequers pub in Walton on the Hill, Surrey. Alcohol Concern has questioned the ethics of serving a recovering alcoholic. And Best's wife, Alex, has pleaded that other pubs do not serve her husband. Best's return to drinking was revealed after the footballer allegedly attacked a News of the World photographer, Christopher Kingswood, at the pub on Saturday after he photographed the footballer without his permission. Young's spokesman Michael Hardman dismissed claims by Best's wife that a "responsible" landlord would not serve somebody with a history of alcohol-related illness. "It is not up to a publican to decide if a person is healthy enough to drink," he said. "None of our staff are medically-trained so they shouldn't be expected to decide if drinking could harm their customer's health." Hardman added that Chequers licensee Mark Noble-Campbell had not recognised Best because the host was from New Zealand. The incident raises the wider question of whether licensees should refuse to serve known-alcoholics. Eric Appleby, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said that landlords should be wary of serving drink to anyone with alcohol addiction or suffering from alcohol-related illnesses. He said: "The best pubs are the ones that look after their customers in every way. If they know someone has a problem they should ask, Are you sure you want this drink?' "You can't expect them to police everyone's health. But it is part of the relationship a landlord has with his customers that he should take the action that is appropriate." But others in the trade have sympathy with problems faced by hosts in such circumstances. Nick Bish, of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, said: "A landlord can only take his responsibility so far. Personal responsibility comes into this.
