Covid: Penrith pub loses appeal over social-distancing breaches

The director of the pub has been ordered by magistrates to pay £1,750 costs

The director of a village pub where customers were seen flouting social-distancing rules has lost an appeal against a Covid-19 improvement notice.

Christopher Callow was notified on 21 December over breaches at the Beehive Inn, Eamont Bridge, near Penrith.

It followed three incidents at the pub in October and December 2020.

Mr Callow told Carlisle Magistrates' Court rules had been followed, but the appeal was rejected and he was ordered to pay £1,750 costs.

The court was told that on 29 October, Steve Wilde, a licensing and enforcement officer at Eden District Council, saw two men sitting and one man standing "very close together" at the bar.

During a subsequent visit on 19 December, the same officer saw six people in "workmen" uniforms drinking together.

On 17 December, police called by pub staff to deal with a fight at the premises observed a group of more than six men sat together watching football.

The court heard there was no social distancing in all three cases, which led to the Beehive being served with the notice - a first step for a local authority to encourage businesses to correct unsafe practices.

'Every step taken'

The pub was told to stop taking non-household bookings and improve social distancing.

Mr Callow claimed the taking of non-household bookings was not a breach of government guidelines and suggested documentation he had received was "defective".

He presented magistrates with a bundle of documents and photographs highlighting significant steps taken to comply with ever-changing regulations, and insisted staff took responsibilities "very seriously".

"We follow all the government guidelines," he said. "We've taken every reasonable step we can as a business."

Freddie Humphreys, representing Eden District Council, said the narrow appeal issue for magistrates was whether, in Mr Wilde's opinion, rules had been contravened.

Mr Wilde told the court the premises was "good" in terms of measures put in place but said there had been breaches.

Mr Humphreys added of the pub: "It is not doing enough to actually enforce these when individuals are in there."

Rejecting Mr Callow's appeal and ordering him to pay £1,750 costs, lead magistrate Chris Drouet said: "Mr Wilde was correct, in his opinion, that the Covid regulations were not being adhered to, and was justified in serving the notice."