Covid-19: Newcastle bar Perdu event 'posed major risk'

The event happened before new lockdown measures came into force on Wednesday

A "raucous" event that posed a major Covid-19 risk at a bar could result in it being shut down, a council has said.

Newcastle City Council said the event at Perdu in the city was "a serious and imminent threat to public health".

Councillor John-Paul Stephenson said some premises were "spoiling everything for those who are bending over backwards to make this work".

Perdu's owners said the authorities acted on an eight-second video which did not give the true picture.

Operations director Shaun Jenkinson said the video posted on Instagram did not show that "door supervisors acted immediately to control the situation".

Perdu was sold to Innvest Leisure by The Vaulkhard Group last week.

The council accepted "there may have been issues" as the venue's licence was transferred to new ownership but they had been resolved, Mr Stephenson said.

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Newcastle City Council bosses said the event last weekend was "raucous" with social media footage showing "little social distancing, people being allowed to stand while drinking and shouting, and free movement around the premises".

Perdu's owners dispute this, and Mr Jenkinson said the council and police acted without coming to the venue, seeking CCTV footage or asking for clarification.

The event was held before tighter lockdown restrictions came into force in the city on Wednesday banning residents from mixing with anyone from another household in any indoor setting, including bars, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Collingwood Street venue has been ordered to comply with public safety regulations or risk closure, steep fines and prosecution.

Perdu must now:

• Obtain customer track and trace data and tell anyone who refuses to comply to leave

• Seat customers in groups of no more than six, who must remain seated unless using the toilets or smoking area

• Space out tables and chairs to ensure adequate social distancing between groups

• Stop customers moving between groups

• Only sell food and drink via table service

• Keep music or entertainment at a volume that allows people to speak without raising their voice

• Supervise the smoking area to ensure social distancing

• Ask customers not adhering to social distancing requirements to comply or, failing that, tell them to leave