BBPA director opposes town's proposed glass ban

British Beer and Pub Association director Martin Rawlings has called on Reading police to drop calls to introduce a glass ban in the town's pubs.

Rawlings, the BBPA's director of pubs and leisure, spoke at the annual Reading Pubwatch conference and called for bad pubs and clubs to be targeted instead of a blanket ban which would affect all operators.

We are saying let's close down the bad pubs but don't penalise the good pubs ​ British Beer and Pub Association director Martin Rawlings.

"The subject in the first instance is violence in pubs and bars and the root cause is down to individuals."​ Rawlings told the conference.

"There are a small number of people doing the damage here.

"Why can't the police get them put away? If they get away with it it sends the message to everyone that they can do what they like.

"We are saying let's close down the bad pubs but don't penalise the good pubs.

"Where it's appropriate and it's needed then perhaps it should be a condition to have polycarbonate.

"What is much more difficult to support is if a blanket approach is taken. It doesn't seem to me that we need to do that in every pub around here

"We're not yobs and we don't want yobs in our pubs."

Rawlings said a blanket ban would suggest to visitors that the Berkshire town has a big problem with glass-related violence, when that is not the case.

According to the Reading Evening Post, Rawlings said: "We think plastic conveys the wrong message.​

"It says to people you can do what you like because there is no danger of maiming someone.

"We shouldn't be telling everyone they can get as drunk as they like and they won't get hurt."

Rawlings also argued the customers who don't cause problems deserved the chance to enjoy their beer from a glass.