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meeson · Site Admin Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 615

Polycarbonate drive in Dundee

Licensees cautious over introduction of scheme

Licensees in Dundee are being urged to switch to polycarbonate glasses in a police drive to improve safety.

Nearly 80 pubs and bars have been offered a selection of polycarbonates, after the local authorities gained government funding for the scheme.

Around 9,000 of the glasses are available with a logo saying “Community Safety” on the side.

Tayside Police says there has been a “positive response” from the trade and claim many pubs are bars keen to switch to polycarbonates.

But Sean Reilly, manager at the Taybridge Bar, said while he did not have a problem switching he fears his customers might object.

“We use Tennent’s branded glasses and our customers like drinking out of those,” he said. “It’s a nicer looking pint. We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.”

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said he supported polycarbonates being introduced in “appropriate venues”, such as nightclubs.

But he added: “Blanket policies on polycarbonates are not fair. Having polycarbonates sounds logical but practically, it does not always work – and you still have beer bottles and wine bottles going across the bar.”

Chief Superintendent Colin McCashey of Tayside Police said violent incidents in Dundee were “rare”, but added: “Dundee’s social scene is no different from any other city of its size and is, therefore, not immune to crimes of violence.

“The availability of the polycarbonate glass is an excellent way in which to further enhance safety and I would encourage licence holders to take up this opportunity.”