Pubwatch turns to transport cops for help

A campaign to get physical attacks on pub workers taken more seriously is looking for help from the British Transport Police (BTP).

Court Not Caution was set up earlier this year by National Pubwatch in a bid to see more perpetrators of crimes against licensees prosecuted.

Last week National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker met with officials from the BTP's Workplace Violence Unit to learn how transport workers have been successful in getting attacks against them taken seriously.

He said: "It was a positive meeting. They and the London Underground have lobbied the Crown Prosecution Service to take attacks more seriously and that is something we can learn from.

"There was a case in June when someone was spat on and they took DNA samples. It was treated as assault and they were given a 40 day suspended prison sentence.

"We want attacks on pub workers treated in the same way - they are also looking after the public and ensuring their safety.

"We seem to think of railway staff as public servants even though they all work for big private companies."

Some railway staff have even been issued with DNA kits so they can take swabs of saliva if they are spat at by violent customers.

However Baker said he is not sure this would work in pubs.

"Obviously we don't think people should be spat at but that is not something we are calling for now. We just want these attacks investigated and treated seriously."

Court Not Caution has also teamed up with production company JPTV to make a film about attacks on licensees that will be screened at conferences as part of the campaign.

Around 700 people have signed a petition backing the Court Not Caution campaign. Add your name at petitions.number10.gov.uk/courtnotcaution/​