Coronavirus lockdown: Border pub stays shut as others reopen

Landlord John Turner will be sampling the beer at the two pubs across the road this Saturday while his remains shut

A landlord whose pub is metres from the Powys-Shropshire border is facing the prospect of staying shut - within sight of two reopened pubs in England.

Drinkers in Llanymynech, which is divided by the England-Wales border, will be able to return to the Cross Keys and Bradford Arms on Saturday.

But the nearby Dolphin Inn will remain shut until the Welsh Government allows pubs to reopen.

Landlord John Turner said the situation was "quite bizarre".

The 56-year-old, who is originally from east London, said: "Obviously it's a difficult situation because we are probably one of the only pubs that are on the border with pubs across the road within the same village.

The Bradford Arms a few yards away will be allowed to open

'Frustrating'

"They will be opening their doors at the Bradford Arms and Cross Keys, which are both in England, only 50 yards away.

"The centre of the road is the border so we won't be allowed to open our doors - and that's quite frustrating."

Mr Turner says Llanymynech is a "fantastic community village"

Mr Turner, who can see both of Llanymynech's other free houses from his front step, said of the cross-border difference in regulations: "We've had issues like this before, but this situation is quite bizarre.

"I think it's 101 days today since we shut. The longer I'm on shutdown, the more money it costs."

Asked what he planned to do on Saturday, Mr Turner said he would be observing social distancing at the village's other pubs.

"I will pop over the pubs at some point and see the other landlords," he said.

"We have never competed. At the end of the day it's a fantastic community village."