Newcastle pubs avoid Saturday reopening amid safety warnings

Drinkers are being warned to take precautions seriously

Only a third of pubs, restaurants and bars in Newcastle city centre say they will reopen for business on Saturday.

Police, doctors, health bosses and the ambulance service warn close contact among drinkers could result in an increase in coronavirus cases.

Newcastle City Council said about 30% of venues had indicated they would open on so-called Super Saturday.

The Tyne Bar tweeted it was "genuinely concerned that this could be a day of total chaos for the pub trade".

Boris Johnson announced on 23 June that pubs, restaurants and hotels could reopen from 4 July, with certain conditions.

Sunderland City Council said fewer than one in five venues had said they would reopen on Saturday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Director of public health Gillian Gibson warned if drinkers did not observe social distancing she had "no doubt" there would be an increase in cases and "we could be in the same position as Leicester".

Sunderland Royal Hospital emergency medicine consultant Dr Kate Lambert said alcohol-related injuries "put extra pressure on hospitals" and warned it would be "hard for people to remember to do all the things they need to do to protect themselves".

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: What are the rules now?

• BUBBLES: How do they work and who can be in yours?

• SOCIAL LIFE: When will pubs, bars and restaurants reopen?

• FACE MASKS: When should you wear one?

• TWO METRES: Could less than 2m work?

Northumbria Police urged people to drink responsibly and follow social distancing guidelines.

Supt Karl Wilson said: "We all have a responsibility to respect our communities and our fellow citizens, and we must not undermine everything we have sacrificed during lockdown."

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust tweeted that staff "don't want to be killjoys" but were appealing for "self-control" at the weekend.

"Have fun, but please don't have so much you need our help," it said.