Drink-drivers get pub ban as crackdown begins

The trade is bracing itself for a clampdown by police over Christmas and the new year amid horror stories in some national newspapers that

the festive season will be punctuated by binge drinking and hospitals struggling to cope with alcohol-induced injuries.

Glendola managing director Alex Salussolia warned that police in Westminster were involved in "proxy purchasing operations". He told attendees at the last week's Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers' annual lunch, "There are cases of intimidation of licensees by the police."

Salussolia's warnings came as an article in the Daily Mail claimed this Christmas "will bring record levels of drunkenness". It also claimed "Some 600 pubs and bars will be open for 24 hours in the run-up to Christmas - three times as many as last year."

Other articles in the national and regional newspapers have claimed that accident and emergency units in hospitals might not be able to cope with the casualties.

The attack on pubs coincided with an innovative scheme launched by Liverpool Pubwatch.

Last week, the group announced that anyone convicted of drink-driving in Liverpool would automatically be banned from 120 pubs and clubs in the city for a minimum of three months.

Photographs and details of all drivers failing breath tests will be circulated by police to the Pubwatch and their names put on a special blacklist.

It follows a scheme launched in the city last month giving police custody officers powers to impose an interim pub ban on all people arrested for other drink-related offences.

Liverpool Pubwatch manager Joe Curran said the new scheme would operate within the Liverpool city boundary. It has the full support of Merseyside Police, who have welcomed another partnership with pubs, bars and clubs in the city.

Curran said: "This is another first in the UK, where the police and the licensed trade are directly targeting irresponsible individuals who consume too much alcohol and then become over-confident and believe they can drive a motor vehicle.

 "It is a clear message that if you drink and drive you will not only be banned from the road, but also city-centre licensed premises."

National Pubwatch co-ordinator Malcolm Eidmans said he fully supported the Liverpool scheme and hoped the idea would spread to other parts of the country.

Eidmans commented: "It's an interesting development that illustrates the benefits of good relations between a Pubwatch and its local police.

"It's a positive move, and if every police force adopted such close ties with their Pubwatch the job would be much easier."

Addressing the issues

Northern licensees are being helped to prepare for the festive season by a series of initiatives aimed at combating under age drinking and irresponsible drinks promotions. British Beer & Pub Association's northern secretary Lee Le Clercq said projects such as Challenge 21, PASS cards and Social Responsibility Standards had combined to make pubs better equipped to address night-time economy problems.

He told 150 leading health authority, government office executives and care service representatives at a conference in Wigan, "Latest research shows that under-age sales in pubs have decreased significantly and the worst examples of irresponsible promotions have largely disappeared from the high street.

 "Serving drunks, however, remains an issue, and one that our industry has to resolve. Without a legal definition of 'drunk', as we have for a drink-driving offence, this is always going to be a difficult call. But if customers leave premises in a state of near-collapse then licensees have done the customer and the industry a serious disservice."

Hook Norton backs Drinkaware

Hook Norton Brewery is giving its full support to the Drinkaware Trust's Christmas and New Year Drink Don't Drive campaign. The brewery's managing director James Clarke said: "We are committed to responsible drinking and tackling drink driving and we're supporting the Drinkaware Trust's campaign. We have ordered its campaign material - including dripmats and posters for use in pubs, clubs and off-licences.

"In addition, we have produced a poster for use in pubs, on which the telephone numbers of local taxi and minicab firms can be displayed."