Pubs tsar pay blast

BRITAIN’S first pub tsar has been accused of pocketing cash “to do nothing” after the rules he was meant to enforce were delayed.

Paul Newby, 57, started his £130,000-a-year role as pub code ombudsman this month. But the code of practice due to come into effect by last Thursday will be at least a month late as a result of drafting errors.

Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland said: “The Government has appointed a pubs code adjudicator who has started work with nothing to adjudicate on.”

Mr Newby, who will arbitrate between industry bosses and tenants, has set up an office in Birmingham.

He hit back: “I am working on the code implementation so that when it comes along I can put it into practice.”