SWALLOW, Susan, British publican. The inventor of an ingenious but simple device called a Skipnet. In the licensed trade, empty bottles, glass and plastic, are dropped into a skip which is emptied and cleaned out before reopening. Susan’s device consists of elasticated net hooks, which fit onto the sides of a mobile skip behind the bar. This elasticated mesh covers the inside area of the skip. Bottles are placed in at the top, so bending down to place in the bottom is not necessary (no backstrain). The net then expands downwards into the skip according to the weight and number of bottles in the net. Breakages are reduced, and also cut hands when emptying the skip, cleaning is faster since the skip-bottom is not full of broken glass. The licensed trade is enthusiastic about her  idea after prototypes had been successfully tested in 1998.