I heard on Radio 4 this lunchtime how crime statistics could result in a pub losing it's licence

Now we all know if a pub has regular punch ups, abusive behaviour, stabbings and general mayhem & drunken wantonness then the licence is at risk

However it now seems the crime statistics, compiled by police, lump theft of mobile phone, laptop etc as "crime" committed in the pub, which it may well have been

But the point was made, given the prevalence of some folk to just leave phone on bar, go to loo, out for fag etc, or just lose the phone and last place they saw it was pub, the pub location gets blame. The general insinuation was that it is far easier to say it was nicked than I was p11ssed & lost it

More of a problem I suspect for yoof pubs than the ones I frequent