Pubs fight plastic glasses plan

The row is over whether to switch from real glass to plastic

Publicans are fighting plans to force customers in a Berkshire town to drink from plastic glasses at the weekend.

West Berkshire Alcohol Action Group, made up of the council and police, wants customers in Newbury to use plastic on Friday and Saturday nights.

It comes after 12 so-called "glassing" incidents during fights in West Berkshire in the past year.

Many publicans on the town's Pubwatch list, representing 30 licensees, say customers deserve to have real glass.

'Small risk'

Peter Sadler, of Newbury Pubwatch, said: "Our members are against it because our customers are paying premium prices for drink.

"They feel that they deserve to get it in a glass, which is a much better product to serve drinks in."

He said the glassing incidents were a small risk compared with the number of people passing through pubs and clubs in the town.

"It's a low risk but it's the individual who actually commits the offence who should be paying for it, not the pubs or the majority of customers," he added.

Pubs and clubs in the town can continue to use glass at present, but publicans face losing their licence if a glassing incident occurs on their premises.