Nightclub boss looks to plastic glassware
Mark Jones, boss of nightclub company Ultimate Leisure, is urging other operators to ditch glass in favour of polycarbonate containers where necessary.
Jones has offered other companies the chance to study the impact of trial glass bans at Ultimate outlets - the second trial began at Kiss in the Big Market, Newcastle, this week.
His views are in an open letter to the Newcastle-based Sunday Sun, which is campaigning for a blanket glass ban.
The letter says: "Over the trial period we intend to measure the glasses acceptability to customers, the price of replacement and operational effectiveness and, of course, ascertain whether they would reduce the incidents of glass attacks and improve our customers' safety.
"If the trials are successful it is likely we will gradually extend the trial and indeed make a permanent move to polycarbonate in the majority of our late night businesses in the Newcastle area."
Jones told the MA: "In some late-night bars where there is dancing we will probably move to polycarbonates after the trial. But in the majority of sites we will stay as it is."
But he added: "We don't agree with or support knee-jerk moves to ban glassware across city centres. There's no call for it. Most incidents are in certain bars in certain circumstances."
Jones said Ultimate is increasing the number of people collecting glasses and doubling the number of bins for collecting bottles.
The Morning Advertiser's online petition on the Prime Minister's website opposing the introduction of blanket glass bans has received more than 3,000 signatures.
There is concern at the number of police forces up and down the country looking to impose polycarbonate plastic glasses on venues with no history of trouble.
To sign the petition visit http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/plasticglass and make sure you forward the link to as many people as possible to gain further support.
