Stone pub linked to 22 Covid cases faces licence review

The owner of the Crown and Anchor, Custodio Pinto, has previously told the BBC he regretted what had happened

A pub linked to 22 cases of coronavirus is to have its licence reviewed over concerns it flouted government guidelines on social distancing.

Hundreds were tested for Covid-19 in Stone, Staffordshire, after a video of the Crown and Anchor's packed beer garden was circulated on social media.

Stafford Borough Council will now review the pub's licence after an application from Stone Town Council.

Customers have leapt to support the pub's licensees.

Licensee Custodio Pinto has previously said he regretted being "complacent" about the government's rules for businesses operating in the pandemic.

The pub was closed for almost a month for a deep clean and risk assessment review, with several more in the town following suit voluntarily to help reduce the spread of the virus, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Well-loved pub'

In a letter of support to the borough council, Stephanie Bromley said: "Custodio and Theresa [Pinto] made a huge mistake on the evening/weekend in question however, like many others, they are learning how to cope with incredibly difficult, changing circumstances. The Pintos are a well-respected family and have no previous bad record.

"They are not the only people to make a mistake. Please don't make them the scapegoats."

Leanne Leese wrote: "A lot of us would rather see a pub back open after this awful pandemic than another empty building of a business that has suffered the effects of this.

"The Crown and Anchor is a well-loved pub by myself and many others that I know and we would all be truly saddened to see it go, especially after years of trading in our small town."

The borough council's environmental health department said the licence holder and designated premises supervisor had "worked closely with the council throughout the investigation and co-operated with all requests in a timely fashion".

The hearing will be held on 30 November.