Crowds turfed out of pubs by police as 10pm curfew kicks in

People enjoy their lsdt drink before a 10pm curfew
Crowds were turfed out of pubs across the country on the first night of a 10pm curfew (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Police turfed lingering revellers out of England’s pubs last night as a 10pm curfew on the hospitality sector kicked in.

Officers across the country enforced the new coronavirus restrictions as bar and restaurant staff cleared tables and chairs off the streets.

One sign at a bar in Soho, central London, told customers enjoying their last drink to ‘Get Out to Help Out’ in a dig to how quickly the rules have changed since people were encouraged to visit their local pubs and restaurants under ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ in August.

Many streets in the capital city looked busy on Thursday night as crowds flocked to the tube stations at 10pm to make it home.

One video showed Oxford Circus looking rammed as everyone ‘rolled onto the streets’ at the same time, with a witness describing tubes as ‘the busiest I’ve seen in central London for months’.

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In student cities such as Preston, Leeds and Newcastle, freshers were pictured carrying boxes of wine home with them so they could carry on socialising.

Pictures also showed people queuing outside an off-license in Brighton after being kicked out of the pub.

Drinkers finish their drinks in the street in Soho, in central London on the first day of the new earlier closing times for pubs and bars in England and Wales
Drinkers finish their pints in the street in Soho, central London, as the 10pm curfew kicks in (Picture: AFP)
People finish their drinks in the street while the bars are being emptied in Soho
All pubs, bars and restaurants must close by 10pm in England and Wales under new coronavirus restrictions (Picture: AFP)
Police chat with drinkers outside a bar in Soho just before 10pm
Police chat with drinkers outside a bar in Soho just before 10pm (Picture: AFP)
Police officers look on as an entertainer walks past in Soho
Police officers look on as an entertainer walks past in Soho (Picture: Getty)

Cabinet Minister Micheal Gove previously said it was fine to carry on drinking at someone else’s home after the curfew kicks in, as long as groups stick to the ‘rule of six’.

The new measures were brought in to bring down soaring rates of the virus and are expected to last six months.

Nightlife hot-spots up and down the country were empty after 10 with some pictures showing punters downing their last pint on the street after being cleared out by staff.

A small police presence could be seen in Soho, central London on Thursday night,   though no problems were reported.

People outside an off-licence as pubs close in Brighton
People were seen queuing outside an off-license in Brighton as the curfew kicked in (Picture: PA)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by James Veysey/REX (10788400i) Police in Soho on the night of the new 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants, as new lockdown restrictions are brought in by the government to combat a predicted 2nd wave of coronavirus. Coronavirus Outbreak, London, UK - 24 Sep 2020
Police are enforcing the new coronavirus restrictions (Picture: Rex)
staff clear away tables and chairs at a pub in Soho as the hospitality sector curfew kicks in
Staff start clearing up tables at a pub in Soho (Picture: Getty)
Partying students on the streets of Newcastle get a takeaway and go home
Students in Newcastle head home early as the new curfew kicks in (Picture: Backgrid)

Meanwhile Wolverhampton Police posted a video on Twitter thanking the public for complying with the new regulations, saying all venues had shut at 10pm.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who is leading the Met’s response to the pandemic, said the ‘vast majority of Londoners’ have stuck to the rules and ‘responded positively to the unprecedented situation we are in’.

He thanked people for being compliant but warned that there is a ‘renewed need for everyone to do everything they can to minimise the risk of transmission of what is a potentially deadly disease’.

He said police would be firm with people who ‘refuse to comply’ with new laws and ‘deliberately place communities at risk’.

BGUK_2002932 - Newcastle, UNITED KINGDOM - Partying students on the streets of Newcastle as bars close at 10pm for the national curfew. Pictured: GV: Newcastle Drinkers BACKGRID UK 24 SEPTEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: BACKGRID UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Partying students on the streets of Newcastle as bars close at 10pm for the national curfew (Picture: Backgrid)
Late-night drinkers leave the Brookhouse public house in Liverpool as the 10pm curfew hits
Late-night drinkers leave the Brookhouse public house in Liverpool at 10 pm (Picture: PA)
BGUK_2002932 - Newcastle, UNITED KINGDOM - Partying students on the streets of Newcastle as bars close at 10pm for the national curfew. Pictured: GV: Newcastle Drinkers BACKGRID UK 24 SEPTEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: BACKGRID UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Students in Newcastle enjoy their first night out with the new restrictions in place (Picture: Backgrid)
People in Soho in London after pubs and restaurants have closed due to the the 10pm curfew in order to combat the rise in coronavirus cases in England. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 24, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus . Photo credit should read: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire
A street looking empty in central London after the curfew kicks in (Picture: PA)

He also urged the public to report serious breaches to 101, but suggested resources were strained with non-covid realted crimes returning to pre-lockdown levels.

‘We urge the public to continue to report serious breaches to us via the 101 telephone system or using our online reporting system.

‘However, we should all bear in mind that there are a number of exemptions to the rules which may apply to any situation so an apparent breach may not be what it appears and not every call may generate an immediate police response,’ said Dept Twist.

‘Additionally, demands on the Met from crime, non-Covid related anti-social behaviour and protests are returning to pre-Covid levels so we will continue to respond to these alongside the pandemic in order to keep Londoners safe.’ 

: A sign reading 'Get out - Help out' hangs from a pub in Soho es)
A sign tells customers to ‘get out to help out’ before the new curfew kicks in (Picture: Getty)
Soho in London after pubs and restaurants have closed
A small police presence was seen in central London but no issues were reported (Picture: PA)
Staff start to fold up chairs at the outside tables of a bar in Soho as the time nears 10pm , in central London on September 24, 2020, on the first day of the new earlier closing times for pubs and bars in England and Wales, introduced to combat the spread of the coronavirus. - Britain has tightened restrictions to stem a surge of coronavirus cases, ordering pubs to close early and advising people to go back to working from home to prevent a second national lockdown. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Staff start to fold up chairs at the outside tables of a bar in Soho as the time nears 10pm (Picture: AFP)

The new restrictions come as a blow to the hospitality sector which was struggling to bounce back from lockdown after three months of closures.

On Thursday Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a package of new measures to help businesses survive the second wave of the pandemic – but there has been criticism they don’t go far enough.

The British Beer & Pub Association welcomed the extension of the VAT cut but said it should be in place longer and extended to alcohol. They also warned the new Job Support Scheme which tops up two thirds of workers wages won’t go far enough in saving jobs as it will cost employers more than the furlough scheme,

Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, Emma McClarkin, said:  ‘Following the additional restrictions announced earlier this week and their devastating impact on the already precarious situation our sector is in, we were really hoping for a strong package of support today.

‘Some elements of the Chancellor’s plan today are welcome, but do not go nearly far enough to save the thousands of pubs and jobs that we have highlighted are at serious risk. ‘

She also called on the Chancellor to extend business rates relief for pubs, which face a ‘cliff edge’ come March ‘when they will have to pay on average £25,000 each per rate paying pub’.

She added: ‘That’s a cost of £800 million to the sector which will be the final straw for many pubs. We need the Chancellor to review this and extend the business rates holiday as a matter of urgency. 

‘Increasing access to Government loans, and extending the lengths to pay them back, will help some pubs, but for many, taking on further debt in the form of a loan isn’t even a viable option – particularly at this stage. 

‘We need the Government to recognise that consumer confidence is fragile and the additional restrictions that could be in place for a further six months will only make this worse.

‘We are asking them to consider ways they can help boost consumer confidence including running the successful Eat Out To Help Out scheme again and offering sector specific grants for pub businesses.’

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