It’s been a tough week for those in the pub trade. First the industry was forced to defend the way it sells alcohol after pressure from politicians and police searching for ways to reduce the level of binge and underage drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence.

Then, Caterer obtained an early copy of a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, due out in full next year, which claims that soaring property prices and tax planning regulations are putting the pub industry’s future at risk.

And finally, official figures revealed that publicans, managers of licensed premises and bar staff are the occupations most likely to be affected by alcohol-related deaths.

And you thought the smoking ban was a pain.

In brighter news on the pub front, Punch Taverns revealed that it has completed the conversion of 650 Spirit managed pubs three months ahead of schedule.

In news from the hotel world, we learnt that guests value room cleanliness above everything else. A survey of 500 guests, carried out whilst in hotel rooms, revealed that a third of all room complaints pertained to its cleanliness.

But some people take this whole cleanliness thing too far. This week saw the return of the old chestnut that is the dry-cleaning scam. Both Galvin Bistrot de Luxe and Tamarind in London received exactly the same letter from a “Shipu Miah” asking them to reimburse a £7 dry-cleaning bill after a waiter supposedly split drink on a diner’s shirt and tie.

Both, of course, denied any knowledge of such an incident. So watch out for Mr Miah – he is clearly a criminal mastermind.

Speaking of breaking the law, Raymond Bland reckons that macho TV chefs (who could he mean?) could soon be sent to jail under new employment laws.

Blanc, publicising his new BBC Two show The Restaurant, reckons that chefs who “glorify violence” are living in the past.

Those pesky employment laws could also pose problems for hospitality businesses looking to employ cheap casual staff over the summer, lawyers warned this week.

Wedlake Bell said while you are allowed to pay staff under the age of 22 less than other workers, they can’t be paid any more that the minimum wage as it would contravene age discrimination legislation.

Work that one out.

Operators might be saved the problem of employing extra staff, however, if the dollar continues to perform badly against the pound.

A new report revealed that the poor exchange rate has seen London drop eight places in the most popular tourist destinations among US travellers.