Riots: Take advice from police and pubwatch
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has advised pubs to take advice from police and speak to their local pubwatch when dealing with the escalating rioting.
Pubs were under seige in parts of London and cities across the country as violence escalated last night, following the police shooting of Mark Duggan last week. Businesses were looted as far afield as Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool and areas of London including Croydon, Peckham, Lewisham, Ealing, Hackney and Clapham Junction.
BBPA director of pubs and leisure Martin Rawlings said: "Attacks on pubs are an attack on the whole community. Pubs need to heed the advice of local police, and their first priority must be the safety of staff and customers, even if that means temporarily shutting the premises. We are advising licensees to use local Pubwatches as a useful source of information and support in this unprecedented situation."
National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker said: "If you are in this type of position you need to consider whether to close the premises."
Advice will be made available on the National Pubwatch website.
Metropolitan Police advice is below.
1. Where possible retail premises should be suitably staffed with security guards
2. Ensure staff report any suspicious activity to security and/or police
3. Consider regular checks of the building and surrounding area
4. Identify areas that are vulnerable to forced entry
5. Make sure all service doors are kept locked and secure when not in use
6. Ensure your CCTV system fully operational
7. In case of an emergency is there a record of the names of keyholders who can be contacted
8. Consider removing high value goods from display windows overnight
9. Consider keeping as little cash as possible on the premises
10. Ensure that your premises are secure and if fitted your alarm systems are fully operational
11. In the event of a non emergen cy, call the police on non emergency number 101
12 In the event of an emergency, call the emergency number 999
