It is something of a surprise to me that licensees aren't robbed more often.
Given the lawless state of Britain, according to the Daily Mail, I would imagine that even the most stupid of villains would realise that, for the most part, licensees deal with considerable amounts of cash and they could represent potentially rich pickings.
The evidence for the potential benefits of robbing licensees is plain.
Despite the increasing use of plastic cards the favourite payment method of choice largely remains cash.
Although credit is now permissible, most sales are paid immediately.
Licensees operate in, mostly, predictable trading patterns with known holidays, festivities and events.
There is sometimes an element of alcohol in the equation. Perhaps enough to stupefy the senses.
There are clear windows of opportunity. Banks open at limited times. Pubs open at differing times. The favourite time must be when the pubs are shut but the banks are open.
Put simply, if I were of villainous tendencies, I would, on a Tuesday morning, lurk outside a busy pub which had music or entertainment (and therefore more likely to have cash rather than credit card payments) after a Bank Holiday weekend between 9am (when the banks open) and 11am (when a lot of pubs open.) There is a pretty good chance that the first thing the licensee does on that morning is leave the pub to go to the bank. Easy.
Years ago, when I did my first licensee training, I watched a video where a hapless licensee leaves his pub to go to the bank to discover his car had a flat tyre. Letting down his defences, he casually tossed the takings on the rear seat while he attended to the wheel. It was then the robbers struck.
If we are avoid these risks we must put ourselves into the minds of those who might intend to do us harm ~ and not allow them to predict what we might do.
Be safe out there.