Pub offenders could face clean-up duties
Offenders caught committing crime on licensed premises could be forced to carry out community-service style orders to compensate licensees and pub operators.
Culprits could be ordered
to clean up pub gardens or carry out a range of other cleaning tasks to avoid a con-
viction. The move was recommended by Crown Prose-cution and Criminal Justice Board officials at a meeting held with British Beer & Pub Association members.
The CPS says it wants to encourage more use of
"conditional cautions" which would mean offenders agreeing to undertake specific tasks in order to avoid an appearance before magistrates. Northern BBPA secretary Lee Le Clercq revealed the CPS was keen to ensure that more conditional cautions were issued.
"There has been concern in the trade for some time that too many people are getting away with simple cautions, which means they are viewed as having escaped scot-free.
"Even people assaulting licensees have escaped prosecution, but a system of conditional cautions would ensure that the punishment fitted the crime," he said.
Le Clercq said conditional cautions were nothing new, although rarely used, but the CPS now clearly stated its support for them. "Execution of a conditional caution is down to the police and we would urge any licensee who is the victim of crime to press their local force to go down this route," he added.
"In serious cases the courts may be the only way forward, but for less serious ones a week spent tidying the pub garden or other cleaning tasks would at least provide the victim with some satisfaction that the offender was putting something back," Le Clercq said. The BBPA delegation which met the CPS and CJB, included regional chairman, Admiral Taverns managing director Lynne D'Arcy, and, Timothy Taylor's managing director Charles Dent.
