Councillors in South Ribble are due to vote on a motion next week which could lead to some licensed premises having to to use plastic pints and bottles instead of real glasses.

The measure is being considered in a bid to stamp out assaults in pubs.

The idea will be considered at a full meeting of South Ribble Council on Wednesday.

If it is passed members will ask the licensing committee to look at including "a condition about the use of plastic (or toughened glass) in all bottles/and or glasses" when ruling on all licensed premises matters such as licence renewals and variations.

And if pubs told to switch to plastic by the committee fail to do so, they could find themselves under review and eventually shut down.

But the idea was today branded "nonsense".

Karl Kuerschner, landlord of the Black Bull, Station Road, Bamber Bridge, said: "I can't imagine anyone being in favour of this. It is presentation as much as anything else.

"No-one in any pub is going to want to drink out of a plastic glass."

Lee Le-Clercq, northern secretary of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "At certain nightclubs where there is a known problem we can accept it, but to look at every pub is frankly nonsense."

Punters have also come out against the idea.

Shaun Allonby, 18, of Collins Road, Bamber Bridge, said: "I don't want to drink out of plastic. Glass keeps the beer cold and it will probably change the taste."