A RETIRED pub landlord has slammed a charity initiative where drinkers can take glasses home as a "recipe for disaster."

Marston's pubs are selling poppy-themed glasses which can be bought either empty or filled with a drink to be enjoyed in the pub before taking them home.

1,000 pubs across the UK, including 292 in the West Midlands, will serve drinks in the commemorative glasses, with all profits going to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal.

But Bill Campbell, aged 77, who previously ran the Railway Bell and Farmer's Boy pubs in Kidderminster, has raised safety concerns over pubgoers taking glasses home.

The 77-year-old, who was a publican for 40 years, said: "It's fraught with danger. I just don't see any good coming out of this idea".

"The glasses will not finish up in your cupboard.

"It will be in someone's garden - thrown across the road. You can’t carry an open glass into a taxi.

"There's more chance of it finishing in someone's face than in a cupboard."

Marston's has said they are confident the glasses will make it home with customers safely and that the chances of people throwing them away are "very remote."

A Marston’s spokesperson said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with the Royal British Legion to give our customers another way to raise awareness and crucial funds for veterans, who are such a large part of the Marston’s community.

"We are confident that as the limited-edition, poppy glasses will be purchased via a charitable donation to the Poppy Appeal, they will make it home with our customers safely.

"The glasses are paid for by the customer so the likelihood of people throwing them away is very remote. The glasses can also be bought on their own or with a non-alcoholic beverage.

"We appreciate the concern for the local community, and we also want to make sure all our customers and neighbours are safe. We encourage responsible drinking in all our pubs.”

Mr Campbell, from Worcester, said that a "sensible" idea would be for Marston's to double donations that are put in collection boxes to the Poppy Appeal instead.

From Saturday (October 26) Marston's pubs will sell the pint and half-pint glasses for £2.50 and £2 respectively.