BarTalk - Glass bans

Should glass containers be banned in circuit pubs after 11pm?

Graham Rowson

Plungington Tavern, Preston,

Lancs

Pressure-point pubs certainly need to consider this but a blanket-ban would also hit well-run, clean houses, which don't have any trouble. We call last orders at 11pm anyway and the pub is clear 30 minutes later. As we are off the main drinking circuit we would not be affected. But as with a lot of things, rules like this will hit innocent pubs just as hard as the guilty ones. Plastic glasses have never been an option here.

Ian Rigg

The Taps, Lytham, Lancs

It isn't a practical idea to force licensees to switch glasses at 11pm for an entire pub, as we would have to do. It hasn't really been thought through properly and seems to be just another knee-jerk reaction to the town-centre pub issue. We are on a small drinking circuit but I have never had any cause to believe we might be better off with plastic late at night. Where would we stock so many glasses with a once-only shelf life?

Anita Adams

Golden Slipper, York

MPs and the Government would be better off tackling this problem at the beginning rather than at the end. That means investigating low-cost supermarket booze, which is increasingly being seen as one of the main causes of town- centre disorder late at night. It's just another distraction from the main issue of tackling this problem at the root cause and means more interference by the politicians.

Adrian Smith

Bar Seven, Nottingham

It would be difficult to make this work properly. It may be good for certain high-volume venues as it would save mess and clearing up broken glass. We only use plastic glasses when we have a sold-out gig, but I'm not a big fan and drinkers don't like them. Many prefer to be seen with smart, badged glasses which add quality to the occasion. Changing round all the glasses in a busy pub at 11pm would cause tremendous problems.