News in brief

Artful Dodger caught
Cambridgeshire pub the Artful Dodger has been fined a total of £1,750 after trading standards officers found bottles of Smirnoff vodka and Gordon's gin contained cheap alternatives. Barry Alexander, landlord of the pub in Elm, near Wisbech, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Trades Descriptions and Trade Marks Act. Philip Scratchard, director of the International Federation of Spirits Producers UK, which provides the dipstick tests to police officers, warned that offenders could lose their licences under the new Licensing Act. The offence of passing off cheap spirits as branded drinks costs consumers £18m a year.

Qualification for pub workers A new qualification in responsible alcohol retailing was launched last week to coincide with the launch of the new licensing regime. It's been designed by Abv Training and the Manchester Health Development Service, which is offering 60 free places on the course with support from the British Institute of Innkeeping. For further details, contact Abv on 0800 061 2981.

Fears over Welsh tourism Welsh tourism minister Andrew Davies last week tried to quell industry fears over plans to replace the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) with civil servants from next April. Membership of the new tourism panel will be advertised next month, with the chairman to take the Welsh seat on VisitBritain. Davies promised the chairman would have "real, deep expertise", but tourism operators remain concerned that the new civil servants will lack the same freedom as the current WTB.

HCIMA ball raises £1,400 This year's HCIMA President's Ball held last month at the Sheraton Park Lane hotel raised £1,400 for the Help a London Child charity. About 200 guests were wined and dined on the night, which featured a lucky dip competition and a Monopoly theme.

Chip and PIN warning
Hospitality operators will pick up the bill for any chip-and-PIN cards used fraudulently without their PIN number from 14 February next year. A spokeswoman for chip and PIN said: "There will still be the opportunity to fall back on signatures, but the business is then liable for the cost if it's later proved to be a fraudulent transaction." Ask customers to provide other means of identification or to pay by cheque or cash to reduce the risk.

School Food Awards Primary schools serving healthy food have been honoured in the second annual Soil Association School Food Awards. Hurlford Primary in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, scooped the Food for Life School of the Year award. Thomas Fairchild Community School in Hackney, north London, won the Times Body and Soul Food Education Award. Landscove Church of England Primary School in Newton Abbot, Devon, and Lethbridge Primary School in Swindon, Wiltshire, shared the Highland Spring School Dinner Award.

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