A BAR boss has organised a training programme for local licensees to ensure they don't fall foul of the law.

Diane Rebecchi, who runs the Burns Lounge in Larkfield, set up the course for people who need to renew their alcohol licensing qualifications.

The certificate is for those who authorise the sale of alcohol, or manage or supervise in premises where it sold.

Personal licence holders who obtained their document on or before September 2009 now need to undergo refresher training before the end of May.

But no local course was available - so Diane took steps to arrange one herself.

She said: “Anyone who works in a licensed premises or who manages a licensed premises has to have it and if they got it in 2009 like myself it has to be renewed by May.

“I started to look into how to go about it and realised there wasn’t anywhere locally who ran the one day course.

“I was disappointed that the college didn’t run it but I got in contact with other companies and managed to get one to agree to come to Inverclyde.

“This is people’s livelihoods and I wouldn’t want people to leave it until the last minute thinking it would be easy enough to do.”

Diane has arranged for a firm to deliver the course and is now appealing for local businesses to sign up.

She said: “We need a minimum of eight people tfor the course to run and I am confident we will get that, as I have already had a few people get in touch.

"I am hoping to hold it some time in March ahead of the May deadline.

“Business owners should have got a reminder letter recently and I would encourage them to get in touch with myself if they are interested."

For more information call Diane on 07801323135.