The media are full of stories about Mr Geo. Best, sometime international footballer and now Britain's most famous liver transplantee. He's been on the wagon for quite some time following his op but apparently rolled off the wagon rather spectacularly at the weekend, to the extent that the police were called (allegations of assault, see and ).
There are reports that his wife is critical of the pub for serving him alcohol. There are also reports that the pub operator, Young's Brewery, has rejected any such criticism, saying that they "employ publicans, not doctors".
Now, I thought that one of the things about a pub was that it's licensed, and indeed its landlord is licensed, to look after the place and the drinkers therein. Various bodies which campaign to preserve the British public house make much of the idea that people drink there in a relatively safe environment, safe that is from the ill effects of over-indulging. As opposed to getting ratted at home or on a park bench somewhere, where there may be no-one to sober you up.
It's certainly a criminal offence for a landlord to serve intoxicating liquor to someone who is already drunk. Shouldn't it also be part of a landlord's responsibilities to decline service to those who, for whatever reason, literally can't take their drink?
I think Young's should be asking their pub manager (tenant?) some pretty searching questions, not dismissing the incident as none of their business.