LETTERs

Losing trust in the police

The Tenby & District LVA has always taken great pride in the working relationship it has with the police and local authorities.

My committee and myself have been getting feedback from our members that phone calls made to the police are beginning to be held against the premises. This is something that we have not quite believed, as we and our members have always been encouraged to work with the police.

We have been to many meetings where it's been stressed that we should always phone; PubWatch does the same.

So imagine our surprise this week when attending a meeting to discuss a premises notice that had been served on Mr Damien Brown of the Prince of Wales, to discover that the authorities and the police have done a U-turn over the policy of phoning.

Surely this is a backward step as far as the policing of Tenby is concerned.

One of the incidents listed against Mr Brown was the refusal of entry to a very drunk 15-year-old. The police were called to make them aware of this youth trying to gain entry to licensed premises and to make them aware of concerns for his safety, but this phone call has been logged as a black mark. Surely this is wrong. We are all supposed to be working together to help make our community a safer place, but who among our members is now going to phone the police over such incidents?

I must say I feel very sad that the trust that has over the years been built up is to be lost. Past committees and chairmen, Mr Brown being one, have striven to build this trust and all for what? We all thought we were trying to work together, but obviously not.

Clare Pritchard-Jones

Chairlady, Tenby & District LVA, White Horse Inn, Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire

Fed up with the blame culture

In response to Andrew Pring's leader last week, "Who will dare serve alcohol!" Quite right, Andrew. We have assault after assault coming at our profession now and it's not of our making.

Whether it's refusal to act on illegal dumping of alcohol onto the market at below cost price, or whether it's refusal to act against those who attempt to obtain alcohol or tobacco when they should not be allowed it, in all cases there is an unwillingness to make people responsible for their own actions.

It has been said many times that we live in a "blame culture". Well, I'm fed up with it. It's not part of the British way of life and we shouldn't have to accept it. If someone tries to get alcohol or tobacco under the age of 18, then it's a fraud and that's that. If I give it to them, then I've been wrong and would accept that, but I would be no more wrong than them and they should accept equal responsibility and treatment.

There seems to be no justice left where this trade is concerned. If anyone else is guilty, it's our fault? I think not!

John Ellis

Crown Inn, Oakengates

sent via email

Between a rock and a hard place

Regarding your story about a brewer making just 3.28p a pint (MA, 4 October 2007), this shows what we all know, where the real pressure is coming from: pubcos and supermarkets.

Coors aren't really in a strong bargaining position when you think about it - the major pubcos have as many as 9,000 outlets and to walk away from that opportunity is suicide.

Off-trade sales are increasing so they have even less bargaining power here - as a business they know that's where they should be concentrating (a growing market); the supermarkets know this and squeeze even more.

I don't think they have much choice - they are basically forced to sell at lower prices than they want simply to ensure they keep their on and off-trade presence.

For the supermarkets then to sell below cost and absorb the loss just compounds the issue for the industry.

Dave Robinson

via morningadvertiser.co.uk