Hampshire pub 'blatantly' flouts coronavirus rules by hosting a birthday party

A PUB is facing a £1,000 fine after police interrupted a birthday party on the premises.
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Officers discovered punters illegally mixing and going maskless at the Elephant and Castle in Commercial Road, Totton, on Saturday evening.

The whole of Hampshire currently remains under tier two coronavirus restrictions, meaning that households cannot mix indoors and that alcohol can only be ordered in pubs with a substantial meal.

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Licensing officers discovered a number of covid rule breaches at the pub on Saturday evening while carrying out a routine check at around 7.30pm.

Elephant and Castle pub in Commercial Road, TottonElephant and Castle pub in Commercial Road, Totton
Elephant and Castle pub in Commercial Road, Totton
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This included people drinking alcohol at tables where they had not ordered food, people were seen stood up playing pool and in the beer garden, groups were stood playing table football and drinking alcohol.

The officers discovered that in the kitchen minimal food was being prepared at the time and the number of people in the bar far outweighed the small number of food tickets being prepared.

After checking CCTV, customers could be seen entering the pub, standing at the bar, walking around the pub without face masks, and drinking numerous alcoholic drinks without meals.

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A birthday party was seen to be in progress without people staying in their household groups or consuming food with their drinks.

The Elephant & Castle is now facing a £1,000 fine.

Police Sergeant Robert Cohen, from Hampshire Constabulary’s licensing team, said: ‘This was a blatant breach of the current Health Protection Regulations. We are working hard to ensure that everyone is observing the restrictions in place and is safe during the pandemic.

‘The guidelines in place around hospitality are clear, it is very disappointing therefore that this pub felt that it was appropriate to put everyone at risk and operate as if the pandemic is not taking place. We are working with partners, including the city council, to ensure where businesses or individuals breach the regulations, that this is addressed quickly to provide reassurance to the community.

‘We hope this sends a message to other businesses that breaching the regulations will be dealt with robustly to ensure everyone’s safety.’

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The force will also carry out work with the pub’s licensee to ensure their future adherence to the regulations.

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