Kirklees wedding venues shut over Covid rule breaches

The number of people allowed to attend a wedding reception in England was reduced to 15 from 28 September

Three wedding venues have been ordered to close by council officials after they were found to be flouting coronavirus guidelines.

The businesses, two banqueting halls and a hotel in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, were found to be holding receptions for 50 to 150 people.

Government restrictions limit wedding receptions to no more than 15 guests.

Kirklees Council said the premises were failing to enforce social-distancing in line with Covid-19 safety measures.

The businesses in Dewsbury and the Liversedge and Gomersal area were visited by council officials and police following calls from the public.

Councillor Rob Walker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We're committed to supporting our hospitality industry through what has been an incredibly difficult time, but we all have to remember that public safety must be the priority.

'Above and beyond'

"When this is put at risk, we will take action."

He said the authority had visited more than 180 hospitality businesses in the area in recent weeks to ensure they were operating in line with the new regulations.

He said the vast majority were going "above and beyond" government guidance and had good controls in place to protect their customers.

The three closed businesses would remain shut until their compliance with current regulations had improved, he added.

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