Why would we turn people away? Landlord on Covid checks at pubs

Landlord Gary Addison, of the White Horse pub in Sudbury, said they will not be asking people to confirm whether or not they have had a Covid jab before entering his pub.

"We will be coming out of two lockdowns, why the hell are we going to turn people away?" he said.

"We are not going to stop people from coming in just because they haven't had the jab."

Owner Gary Addison wants his customers to feel safe inside his pub (Image: Archant)

Mr Addison was speaking after PM Boris Johnson announced last night that pub landlords may be given the power to bar anyone without a Covid jab in the future, once all adults have been offered the vaccine

He added: "The protocols we were given after the first lockdown to reopen kept everyone safe enough in my opinion.

"But now to say everyone needs a passport to come into the pub is daft.

"As a pub we need to make money come the summer and the last thing we would want to do is alienate ourselves in the small town we are in, so I will be very surprised if any local pubs round us do it, but it is everyone's own opinion and some might be very for it, but we are not."

He continued: "It is down to us as landlord and landlady to keep people safe whether that is coronavirus or not coronavirus.

"I know it is something that is designed to keep everyone safe, but I feel how our pub was run it was safe enough in the first place with all the measures put in place to keep people apart.

"Someone who has not had the jab could be the most well behaved person and sit on a table on their own and as long as they social distance and wear their masks when walking around the pub, nothing is changing from before."

Mr Addison has been getting his beer garden ready to ensure he can welcome punters back safely on April 12.