Check, please

We live in a world gone mad. First, there was Batman's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and the sight of pro-hunt protesters ranging free on the floor of the Commons chamber. Then a journalist used bogus references to secure a job as a waiter in the Commons. Sun reporter Anthony France managed to have himself photographed serving tea to the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, and even carried the components of a fake bomb into our seat of government.

This last episode highlights the extent of the trust operators need to place with their employment agencies every time they procure the services of short-term staff. Recruitment agency Berkeley Scott, which supplied France to the Commons, claims it vetted his credentials adequately, and blamed the Metropolitan Police for giving him security clearance. Wherever the blame lies, the fact remains that no operator can afford to allow any question mark to hang over the temporary employees they deploy.

Now might be a good time to speak to your third-party staff providers to reassure yourself that they are showing due diligence in checking the individuals they employ. Moreover, you might wish to consider carrying out your own security checks - particularly on employees who will be working in high-profile accounts such as City high-rises or celebrity parties.

If you haven't yet signed up to our Stub out Smoking campaign, and your reason for not doing so is a concern that a ban on smoking in the workplace might impact on profitability, two pieces of research published this week should sway you to our way of thinking.

A report by Ireland's Central Statistics Office reveals there has been no perceptible decline in Irish bar sales, above and beyond an ongoing decline that predated Ireland's ban on smoking. Meanwhile, New York City Health Department figures suggest that, far from hitting restaurant and bar takings, the city's smoking ban has led to increased profits and created more than 10,000 new jobs.

With any business fears allayed, and with the moral case for a ban so overwhelming, what's stopping you joining our campaign?

Send in the clowns While stand-up comedy is often associated with the Comedy Stores and Jongleurs of this world, pubs have long been the stamping ground for many of these acts - the atmosphere of the humble pub lends itself to this style of entertainment.
Helen Adkins, Restaurants and Bars Editor

Driving back the years The Goodwood Revival is the only motor sports meeting in Europe that's held in period costume, and it gets bigger every year. All visitors are urged to dress in 1950s fashions, and the attention to detail keeps caterer Payne & Gunter busy preparing for the best part of a year.
Benjamin Walker, Contract Catering Editor