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The Rhu Bar, in London Street, Basingstoke

A LANDLORD has slammed rules that force him to serve drinks in plastic beakers to customers sitting outside.

Rob Bates, owner of Rhu Bar, in London Street, Basingstoke, fears a ban on traditional glasses and glass bottles could hit his business.

He said he has not had any trouble in the eight years he has owned the bar, and does not understand why the condition was attached to his licence by borough councillors.

Mr Bates appealed to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's licensing committee against the condition without success in February.

He said: "I don't see how my customers drinking out of plastic is going to stop trouble in London Road. My business doesn't contribute to the trouble police say there is in the town.

"It's already affecting my summertime trade. Customers come for a bottle of wine and two glasses and we have to pour the bottle into a jug for them to take outside and we can't keep it cool.

"I'm going to lose all that summer trade, and my customers, who are 25, 30 or 40 years old, don't want to drink out of plastic beakers."

He added that about 100 customers have already signed a petition in the bar to keep real glasses.

Linda Cannon, licensing manager at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "The street where Rhu Bar is located is ranked the fourth highest in the borough for violent crime, with 37 incidents reported over a 12-month period.

"For this reason, the council, in discussion with the police, imposed a condition that plastic beakers be used just for those drinking outside in bars in this area of the town as a precautionary safety measure, to stop the risk of glass being used in any fights or anti-social behaviour."

Not all licensees agree with Mr Bates. Carol Freeman, the owner of Tonic, which has a London Street drinking area like Rhu Bar, said the ban on glass is a good idea.

She said plastic beakers meant staff did not have to worry about broken glass.

Mrs Freeman said the plastic beakers were tough, so she had never had customers complain about them, and she did not lose out financially because the drinks industry provided them for free.

She said using the street for her business was a privilege, adding: "It's a public highway, so we have to adhere to the rules and regulations."

South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman Michelle Ullett said ambulance crews see people permanently disfigured as a result of broken bottles and glasses being used as weapons.

"The solution is very easy - these horrendous injuries could easily be avoided if bars and nightclubs introduced polycarbonate bottles and beakers for their customers," she said.

Bob Edwards, chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale's North Hampshire branch, said members felt plastic could alter the taste of their drink and they preferred the feel of proper glasses.

He added: "We'd always ask for a proper glass, but we do understand for outside events it might be necessary to use plastic for safety reasons."

10:39am Monday 12th May 2008

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