A NEWPORT pub is the first in Gwent to have a ban on glass made part of its licensing conditions.

The Thru the Arch pub, on Stow Hill, now uses only plastic vessels throughout the day and night after backing the police campaign to wipe out vicious daily glassing attacks in Gwent.

Licensing officers in Newport insisted the pub move to plastic in the evenings as part of its application to change its license from a members-only club to public bar.

And manager Neil Dunning said he is more than happy to join the Argus-backed campaign to go plastic, taking the decision to use plastic during the day as well.

Mr Dunning said a meeting between police, council officials and the 50 largest premises in Gwent in February had left him feeling a change to plastic was needed anyway.

"There was a lady there who talked about the effects an attack had had on her son. Although we don't get much trouble, I would hate for something like that to happen here," Mr Dunning said.

And he urged other pubs to follow suit, saying customers had responded positively in the pub's first plastic week.

"Many of them are unaware they are not drinking from glass," he added.

Newport's new licensing officer PC Rachael Honey praised the pub for backing the license conditions.

"Hopefully this will send the right message to others who have not yet made the change. We will be seeking to make polycarbonate a must on every new license in Newport."

Current licensing policy in Gwent will be reviewed in November 2008, when officers plan to make polycarbonate glasses a licensing requirement throughout the area.

Figures show glass attacks in Gwent happen every week, leaving victims with physical and emotional scars.

A host of pubs and clubs are joining our campaign to take glasses out of late-night Gwent bars, including Newport's biggest venues, Escapade and Clubnite.