Pub 1304 p10 news 7/4/09 17:33 Page 10
10 Monday 13/04/09 thePublican www.thepublican.com
This Week News
HMRC GOES
TO WAR ON
SMUGGLERS
A NATIONAL crackdown on tobacco
and alcohol smuggling has been
launched by HM Revenue & Customs
(HMRC).
Seven teams across the country –
with five more to be set up over the
next three months – will target smug-
glers who supply and distribute
tobacco and alcohol illegally.
It is estimated that spirits fraud
alone costs the Exchequer around
£250m a year.
HMRC operational director John
McManus said: “Tobacco, alcohol and
fuel smuggling creates a cheap and
unregulated supply operated by and
for criminals.
“Organised crime undermines
Punch Taverns is providing £16,000 to pay for the Licensed Trade Charity’s (LTC’s) Volunteer Visitor programme. In the scheme volunteers give honest businesses whose trade is
up their own time to visit people working in or retired from the trade to see whether the charity can provide help for them. Punch has funded damaged when smugglers undercut
the scheme for the second year running, with the cash paying for 14 regional volunteer visitors. James Brewster, chief executive of the LTC, them by evading tax.”
said: “These volunteers are our eyes and ears, helping us to assess and assist those who call us. We really couldn’t do without them now. The He added that illicit alcohol, which
support from Punch means that we can use these costs instead to make a difference to those in a time of crisis.” Trust beneficiary Betty Trew can contain poisonous methanol, can
is pictured with volunteer Katie Smith. be harmful and even lethal.
LADS LICENSED
INTERPUB
HR BOSS
AT THE DOUBLE
HANDED MBE
Andrew (left) and James Chambers FOR TRAINING
show off their personal licences
INTERPUB HUMAN resources direc-
tor Franca Knowles has been awarded
Twins gain licences just months after their 18th birthday
an honorary MBE for services to
hospitality training.
The award, which was presented by
licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe,
By Matt Eley were one of the last to be issued with recognises the Footsteps Training
matte@thepublican.com licences from Berwick-upon-Tweed Council Changes Programme (FTP) she developed 10
council before Northumberland years ago to help students progress
A PROUD father believes his sons Council took over.” Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of 44 within the company.
could be the youngest twins in the He added that he now expects the district and county councils that The training programme is based on
country to be issued with their pair to put in the hours behind the bar have recently been replaced with a personal logbook and 10-point train-
personal licences. at the pub. nine bigger authorities in a move the ing plan.
Andrew (pictured, left) and James “We are fairly sure Andrew will government says will save £22m. The FTP programmes have also
(right) Chambers have received their work in the pub long-term but we become an invaluable training tool for
National Certificate for Personal don’t know about James yet – he has small, independent companies that do
Licence Holders, just months after other plans and just helps out here in these days, when all we hear are not have their own human resources
turning 18. and there,” he said. negative stories about pubs closing, teams.
The identical twins both passed the “It just shows that there are still people who want to Franca, who was born in Holland
exam in November – a few days after work in this trade.” and started working for Interpub
their birthday. Now they have And Andrew even has ambitions to when she moved to the UK 20 years
received the certificates, they are take over the freehouse his parents ago, said: “I consider the work I have
set to work with their dad Gill have owned for the past eight years. done to be very important for the
(centre) at his pub the “I’d really like to buy it,” he said, young employees in my company, and
Black Swan in “but whether I can afford it or not is a I am delighted to have been recog-
Seahouses, different matter.” nised for it.
Northumberland. He added that he was not sure “The new talent coming into the
Gill said: “I am so working with brother James would company is the future of the industry
proud of them both work out well. as a whole and I take such pleasure
and think they must “As you would expect, the pair in seeing these young people achieve
be the youngest of us are extremely competitive so much and thrive in their chosen
twins in the country with each other and we might just industry.”
to achieve this. clash if we worked here. We would Interpub owns six pubs as well as a
“We also think they both want to be in charge.” range of bars, hostels and hotels.
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