Antony Worrall Thompson denies being 'anti-vax' despite pub sign

Antony Worrall Thompson says he wants to support equality in his pub

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson says he is not against Covid vaccinations, despite a sign in his pub saying unvaccinated people are welcome.

The restaurateur runs The Greyhound in Oxfordshire, where the notice made by an anti-vaccination group was put up.

Mr Worrall Thompson says he will remove any specific reference to the group, but will continue to show a sign to support equality.

The NHS says vaccines are safe and the best protection against Covid-19.

The sign at the pub, near Henley-on-Thames, says: "We do not discriminate. Race, gender, age, disability, vaccinated or unvaccinated. Everyone equal here. Everyone welcome."

The TV chef, who opened his first restaurant in London in 1981, used to appear on the BBC's Ready Steady Cook, and came fifth on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2003.

'Not irresponsible'

He told the BBC: "I'm doing it [having the sign up] because I don't want to discriminate against anyone.

"At the end of the day we've done our time, we've done two years of this, lockdowns and various things and precautions, and I think it's time to move on."

The pub is in the village of Rotherfield Peppard

Asked if it was irresponsible, he answered: "I don't think it's irresponsible at all.

"You know you have the choice. Freedom of choice to get vaccinated, freedom of choice to come to The Greyhound."

He added: "I agree with people getting vaccinated. I'm not an anti-vaxxer... to me if you don't want to get vaccinated, if you don't want to put chemicals into your body, it has to be your choice."

Dr Rachel Ward, based at Woodlands Medical Centre in Didcot, said she was concerned the sign would encourage people not to get vaccinated.

She added: "In the UK there is no law for the majority of people to get vaccinated, but it is important to remember if you do not want to be vaccinated it has a much more far reaching effect on society other than just whether you are welcomed into your local pub."