Pub landlords in Nottingham will ask patrons to provide council tax bills to prove they aren’t from Leicester as bars outside the lockdown limits are told to brace for ‘Super Saturday.’
Police have advised landlords across the city, which is 30 miles north of Leicester, to prepare for a rush of customers from the locked down area when premises reopen this weekend.
Landlords and licensees in Nottingham attended a Zoom meeting this afternoon, where they were briefed on the situation by the police and local authorities.
Many of the city’s pubs will now ask drinkers to prove they are from Nottingham with council tax or utility bills before they can be served a long-awaited pint.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock extended lockdown measures in the East Midlands city on Monday after a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases, with non-essential shops closed again and schools shut from Thursday.
Sheila Martin, who lives outside the lockdown zone, had been looking forward to opening her pub, The Black Horse in Blaby, on Saturday until Leicester’s lockdown
Pictured: Adam Cropper, one of the owners of the Ned Ludd in Nottingham, which is preparing to reopen on July 4
The nationwide easing of restrictions this Saturday – including the reopening of pubs, hair salons and restaurants – will not extend to the city.
Venues in Nottingham have already cancelled pub sessions pre-booked by Leicester visitors, and the Castle Rock Brewery will demand proof of address before patrons are served.
Required identification could include council tax bills, utility bills or student loan letters.
Head of Marketing at Castle Rock, Lewis Townsend, told the Nottingham Post: ‘In-line with government guidelines, we will be taking names and contact details at the door and customers may need to provide ID and postcode information.
‘We know this may cause disappointment, but we simply must ensure the safety and well-being of our teams and customers.’
Robert Glasby, manager of the Playhouse Bar and Kitchen in Nottingham, said: ‘I understand these are drastic measures, and in some cases will not be fair, but these are precautions we must take to ensure our city and its people are safe,’
Those inside a boundary drawn by the Government in Leicestershire and will face extended lockdown rules to limit the spread of the coronavirus after a recent surge of cases in the city.
Matt Keshavarz, manager of Nottingham’s Oz Bar, is confident he will manage to spot pub tourists when he opens his doors for the first time in three months on Saturday
Debbie Murray, 55, is desperately disappointed she will not be allowed to open the Star and Garter in Wigston, Leicester
Leicester has an infection rate of 135 per 100,000 people, which is three times higher than the next highest local area. Hospital admissions are also much higher than the norm at between six and ten per day.
Under the lockdown, those who live in the area cannot make unnecessary journeys and pubs will remain closed, raising fears a large numbers of residents will travel 30 miles to Nottingham for a drink.
‘The police told us they are preventing large groups travelling and they have spoken to coach companies,’ said Gavin Morrison of the Magpie Brewery, which runs the Crafty Crow in Nottingham.
‘They told us to put booking systems in place which might help to identify people coming from Leicester.’
But some landlords are not convinced they will be able to weed out drinkers from their East Midlands neighbour.
‘The police have said it is difficult because you can see their postcode on their driving license but you cannot see if they actually live in the lockdown zone,’ said Adam Cropper, one of the owners of the Ned Ludd.
‘The map of the locked down zone does not allow you to zoom in and check the postcode, so for me, it is impossible to police.’
Pictured: Ms Martin has prepared her pub with tape over seats and social distancing signs
Data shows how Leicester’s coronavirus outbreak has grown over time. The numbers compiled for England only include pillar one swab tests, which officials say are only given to patients with a medical need or key workers
Under the Government’s rules, pubs are expected to take down drinkers’ details so they can be traced in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak linked to a premises.
However, a driving licence may not be shown. Where proof of identification is asked for and given as a passport, there would be no verification of the person’s address, only place of birth.
‘They could give us any name or address,’ added Mr Cropper.
A landlord at another city centre bar, who did not want to be named, was more abrupt. ‘People are not honest,’ he said. ‘Everybody tells lies’.
But Matt Keshavarz, manager of Nottingham’s Oz Bar, is confident he will manage to spot pub tourists when he opens his doors for the first time in three months on Saturday.
‘People from Leicester will not get in,’ he said. ‘It is nothing against Leicester people, it is just keeping our customers and staff safe.
The Oz Bar is fully booked on Saturday and is expecting 170 customers, compared to the usual crowd of 520.
A person walks past a closed pub following the coronavirus disease outbreak in Leicester
Health Secretary Matt Hancock extended lockdown measures in the East Midlands city (pictured) on Monday after a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases
The pub has asked for postcodes and will request to see driving licenses on the door when booked guests arrive, however Mr Keshavarz accepts some people may use a passport.
‘There are more cases of Coronavirus in Leicester and they have decided to stay in lockdown. My message would be to follow the guidelines. Stay at home and stay safe,’ he said.
‘There is a high risk of people coming from Leicester but the police have said they will try to police it.’
Sheila Martin had been looking forward to opening her pub, The Black Horse in Blaby, on Saturday until Leicester’s lockdown.
Being 50 metres outside of the exclusion zone, the landlady is pressing ahead with her plans, but now she feels nervous and fears she will be overwhelmed by residents from lockdown areas who are desperate for a pint.
‘I am feeling very apprehensive,’ said Ms Martin, 56, who has run the community pub for 18 years.
As she prepared to cover her premises, which date from 1959, with black and yellow hazard tape to mark out social distancing, Ms Martin told MailOnline: ‘No one else is opening in Blaby and I think there will be a mad rush from everywhere else. That’s why I am having regulars only. I will be on the door.’
Leicester has an infection rate of 135 per 100,000 people, which is three times higher than the next highest local area
Hospital admissions are also much higher than the norm at between six and ten per day
Pedestrians wear masks as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus in North Evington, Leicester
On a busy Saturday night Ms Martin might serve 200 customers, but this weekend she is limited to only 60, who will be accommodated in the back bar to allow a one-way system to operate, and in the car park, which has been fenced off to allow tables to be put in.
Ms Martin is prepared to ask for driving licenses to check postcodes, but most of the lucky ones who will gain admission she simply knows by sight.
‘Other pubs near here are staying closed until the city reopens,’ explained Ms Martin, whose regulars have demanded she finally open the doors after a thirsty three-month wait.
‘Judging by my Facebook people are ready for a drink,’ added the landlady, who has lost £120,000 in takings at the Trust Inns pub during lockdown.
‘We have said we will open at 12 on Saturday and most people have responded by saying they will be camping outside.’
Meanwhile, a few miles down the road in Wigston another landlady, Debbie Murray, 55, is desperately disappointed she will not be allowed to open the Star and Garter.
The traditional Everards pub, which was once an old coaching house and dates from 1879, is just a few metres inside the lockdown area and so must stay closed.
‘I put so much into getting ready, I was getting excited and just finished everything and then to be told there was another two-week lockdown, well, I just burst into tears,’ said Ms Murray, who runs the pub with her husband, Darren, 57.
The multi-room public house can accommodate around 200 people when full, but capacity will be halved when the Star and Garter finally opens.
A lot of preparation was completed before the new lockdown announcement, with Perspex screens on the bar and new furniture for outside, totalling thousands of pounds.
‘The brewery has been fantastic,’ said Ms Murray, who estimates takings of £180,000 have been lost during the three-month closure. ‘They have been really supportive.’