 Many pubs in the UK now use plastic glasses |
A woman who needed 56 stitches after she was attacked with a bottle is urging pubs to scrap traditional pint pots in favour of new safer glasses. Kimberley Owen, 24, from Newtown, Powys, wants landlords to switch to tempered or toughened glass, which shatters into small pieces on impact.
She hopes bars in Newtown will agree to start using the new glasses, and plastic bottles, in a year's time.
Her campaign is supported by the police and Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates.
Ms Owen suffered injuries to her face, chest and arm in an attack outside a pub in Newtown in November 2004.
She was celebrating her boyfriend's birthday when she was assaulted. Ms Owen needed 40 stitches to her face alone, and eight each in her arm and her chest.
 |  People should not have to go through what I have suffered |
Damage caused to one of her tear ducts has meant she has suffered 126 eye infections since the attack. Ms Owen is now waiting for an operation to correct the problem.
Two years on from her ordeal, she has decided to start a campaign to improve drinkers' safety. She has also started a petition and has so far collected 4,000 names.
Ms Owen said: "People should not have to go through what I have suffered.
"We all go out to enjoy ourselves and no-one expects to be disfigured at the end of the night."
She added: "I want the pubs in Newtown to use a new type of glass that shatters on impact, and I want them to use plastic bottles.
"This campaign is all about making people aware of this problem."
'Positive step'
Many pubs throughout the UK are now switching to plastic or "tempered" or toughened glass pint pots and bottles.
In Cardiff there is a partial ban on glass, with premises opened until 0300 GMT introducing plastic.
Montgomeryshire AM Mr Bates, Ms Owen, Powys Council, Newtown Town Council, police and pub landlords meet next month to discuss the new safety measures.
Pc Dave Walker, a licensing officer with Dyfed-Powys Police in Newtown, said he supported the campaign.
"Anything that helps reduce violent crime has to be a positive step. Dyfed-Powys Police will do anything that will help protect people," he said.
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