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Dunedin firefighters are horrified by a "dangerous" bar promotion thwarted only by police intervention.
The city's Bowling Green Tavern's general manager and part-owner, Mark Deason, 32, is likely to face criminal charges following a swap-petrol-for-beer promotion offering the chance to win a petrol-soaked couch complete with matches.
Police raided the Frederick St bar on Thursday and confiscated 15,000 promotional pamphlets for Orientation week, which started on Saturday.
With the sofa, the promotion offered to swap punters a litre of beer for a litre of petrol and a free litre of petrol with every two jugs of beer. It also included a suggestion to dial 111, referred to as a "Special O-Week Complaints Hot-line", with any complaints.
Mr Deason said the promotion was well managed and safe, but Dunedin's deputy fire chief said he was horrified by the tone of the promotion.
Trevor Tilyard said authorities had not raised the matter last week because they believed the less publicity it got the better.
He got a copy of the pamphlet from a member of the public, who had received one of about 100 distributed outside the Captain Cook Tavern last week.
Mr Tilyard said had taken it to the police because he believed it would incite arson in North Dunedin.
"This pamphlet is an invitation to public disorder. It is the height of irresponsibility."
The Fire Service had noticed fewer rubbish fires in the student area of the city so far this Orientation - which it attributed to the Campus Watch patrols - but the pamphlet could have threatened that, Mr Tilyard said.
Police said Mr Deason was likely to face prosecution. "We are still looking into it, but we are looking at some charges being laid next week," said the senior sergeant in charge of liquor licensing, Alan Grindell.
He said the pamphlets were confiscated because police had serious concerns that they would incite criminal behaviour.
The case was likely to be referred to the Liquor Licensing Authority.
It is not the first time the Bowling Green Tavern has been in trouble for promotions.
Its "Wife Beater Wednesday" promotion, which offered free drinks, came under fire from the Liquor Licensing Authority in November 2005, and an offer of a free drink if people arrive by taxi provoked mixed reactions last February.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
