The Landlord's Human Right To Bar Anti-social Behavior

There is a fundamental principle for licencees that they can “refuse service” to anyone they like, as long as their refusal is not on the grounds of Race, Gender or Disability. In effect when you go into a pub you go into the Landlords “house”, and after all each of us has a right to refuse entry to anyone we do not want come into our own homes!

I well remember a dirty, smelly, old tramp coming into our pub many years ago, and we had no hesitation in telling him he was not welcome. We did give him a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of pop to send him on his way though! I also remember a guy, well known in our town, who after three pints would want to take the world on - he wasn’t welcome either!

A Landlord also has a right to “ban” a person from his pub, and often, if that Landlord belongs to a local “Pubwatch” organisation, the same person will (or might) be banned from all pubs within their territory, this without seeking recourse to the law.

Well now; such a banned person (a 24 year old male banned for some 6 months from pubs within a Cornish town) is seeking redress from The European Court of Human Rights because he believes that the local Pubwatch organisation have banned him without him having had a chance to defend himself in a court of law. The local Pubwatch spokesperson said “What about the human rights of other people to enjoy their drink in a pub or the rights of publicans to run their business?”

I have no knowledge whatsoever of why this fellow has been banned, I do know however that Landlords and Pubwatch organisations do not ban people lightly, why would they when they need all of the customers they can get? Surely publicans must have the right to decide who can and who cant be in their pubs, it is very easy for the libertarians to sit at home and make judgements but you try serving and welcoming for example; some thug determined to make everyone’s life a misery, fuelled with god knows what inside him on a Saturday night when your locals are trying to have a quiet pint!

The customers of a pub are the reflection of the Landlord, of his standards and his hospitality; let us hope this fellow is not successful in claiming that his human rights have been infringed! Perhaps he might reflect on the reasons why he was banned in the first place?

Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of www.inn-dispensable.com Personal Licence Courses

Alcohol Advertising Ban in Blackpool

There is little doubt that Britain's Las Vegas, Blackpool, is under pressure to maintain its long and hard earned reputation for fun and frolics. It might soon become the ghost town of closed saloons! The lights might go on shining but there will be little fun to be had.

The council there are now seeking to ban all alcohol advertising outside of pubs. Additionally, they're also looking to ban many licensed outlets from remaining open after 3.00am, known as an EMRO (an Early Morning Restriction Order).

So signs of "Fine Ales", "Cask Condition Ales sold here", "Enjoy a Pint of Fine Ale" et al could become a thing of yesteryear in the bastillion town of good Northern beer!

At a council scrutiny committee meeting recently the members concluded that advertising alcohol "helps encourage an acceptance of drinking and re-enforces positive images of alcohol". Well what do you know, that is the very purpose! They have a concern that young people in particular are enticed by such advertising and are seduced into excess consumption.

I am all for the responsible retailing and consumption of alcohol, and the industry really is doing lots to educate the younger drinker of the perils, but introducing more and more laws and restrictions will only serve to make alcohol itself appear like stolen fruit and stolen fruit as we all know is much more attractive!

Education, Education, Education is the answer, not legislation

'Medicinal' E-Cigarettes And The Pub Industry

A good mate of mine, a lifetime smoker is desperately trying to kick the habit. He has tried it all; cold turkey, patches, counselling - you name it, he’s tried it. Now however, the one thing that is really helping him, 'e-cigarettes' are under threat.

Firstly J D Wetherspoon have banned them from all of their pubs. Their reason is a credible one, in as much as they claim these 'cigarettes' are very difficult to distinguish from the real thing, and so their staff are having to “police the pubs” - distracting them from their real job of serving customers.

The CEO of E-Lites Adrian Everett however claims there can be no confusion because his product gives off a green light. He (not surprisingly) wants to see more pubs allow and encourage them, to help individuals kick the tobacco habit and for the greater health of the nation.

Professor John Britton head of the BMA’s Tobacco control Group says e-cigarettes will save the lives of 5 million smokers if they use these instead of tobacco!

E-cigarettes, which use a vapour containing nicotine are now however to face more regulation and will in 2016 be re-classified as MEDICATION. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has said that it does not recommend people use e-cigarettes but has not banned them as it will likely drive smokers back to tobacco.

In the meantime my mate continues his battle. It will be interesting to know just how many pubs allow them or disallow them. Just another battle for our industry!


Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training