Police chief wants polycarbonates in every pub

A senior police officer has reignited the debate on polycarbonates by calling on the trade to ditch glass in all pubs.

Chris Allison, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on licensing, told thepublican.com​ he wants polycarbonates to be "seen as the norm".

He said: "We think the pub trade should take the moral lead here and be saying this is the right thing to do.

"I would like to see all pubs using polycarbonates."

Allison argued that if banning glass stopped just one person from losing an eye it would be worth the change.

"Why does everyone hold on to the concept that you have to drink out of glass? What is the difference?" he asked. "The problem we have is that people think about flimsy plastic glasses."

His comments will dismay many in the industry. Earlier this month trade leaders emerged from a Home Office working group meeting on glassware confident a blanket ban on glass was not on the agenda.

Martin Rawlings, director of pub & leisure at the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), said: "There was general agreement there was no need to introduce polycarbonate glasses across the country.

"We have got it back into sensible territory, as there was a danger of it disappearing into the realms of fantasy."

It is understood the working group agreed to look at the guide provided by the BBPA and late-night operator group Noctis to help licensees assess the risk of violence in their venue.

Paul Smith, Noctis chief executive, said: "We have had a struggle to get this risk assessment document on the table, but we are pretty confident we can move ahead to look at a purely risk-based approach."

The Campaign for Real Ale also remains opposed to banning glass. Iain Loe, the group's research and information officer, branded the idea as "window dressing".

Late-night operators, such as Luminar and Premium Bars & Restaurants, have introduced polycarbonates at a number of their venues, but both are opposed to a blanket ban.

Licensees also remain firmly against the idea. Steve Andrews, licensee of the Seven Stars in Kennford, Devon, said Allison's idea was "ridiculous".

"My customers would be extremely unhappy. I can understand it for town centre pubs, but not country pubs that do food. It would be another nail in the coffin for the industry," he said.