BBPA passes on police advice to pubs

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has passed on Metropolitan Police advice on how pubs should deal with the London riots.

The BBPA said pubs' first priority should be the safety of staff and customers, even if that meant temporarily shutting the premises.

It also advised licensees to use local Pubwatches as a useful source of information and support.

The Metropolitan Police told businesses they might wish to use the following measures:

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-emergency, call the police on non emergency number 101
12 In the event of an emergency, call the emergency number 999

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By Neil Gerrard

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