Overzealous' police patrol pubs and argue with landlords over Scotch eggs
Officers asked customers to leave after eating despite guidelines to only enforce rules as a 'last resort'
The chief executive of the brewer Young's said police had been 'intimidating, bordering on harassment' CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Police have been criticised for their “overzealous” enforcement of the new rules on pubs, after landlords reported officers argued over whether Scotch eggs were a substantial meal and threw out customers who had finished eating.
Pub bosses in Tier 2 areas said police had visited their premises to argue over the regulations - insisting that Scotch eggs cannot be considered a “substantial” meal that allows punters to order alcohol.
Patrick Dardis, chief executive of Young's, said officers in London on Wednesday also told customers to leave pub premises as soon as they had finished their meals, preventing them from ordering more drinks.
"As if we haven't got enough to contend with we have had some overzealous officials going into pubs unnecessarily and it's a bit intimidating with customers," Mr Dardis said.
"This whole petty argument about a Scotch egg, whether it is or whether it isn't [a substantial meal] is not relevant. What it actually means is a table meal, a substantial meal is just a made up nonsense.
"It's unnecessary and unhelpful given the problems that the sector has had to deal with over the past months and the amount of money we have spent creating secure and safe environments.”
Mr Dardis emailed all Young’s staff after the incidents, reporting “intimidation, bordering on harassment from officials in some of our pubs”.
Downing Street has refused to rule Scotch eggs out as a qualifying meal, while Michael Gove changed his mind on their status in two interviews on the same morning.
Tier 2 rules stipulate that customers can only order alcohol with a “table meal” and can only dine inside with members of their own household or to hold a business lunch or dinner.
Guidance for police by the National Police Chiefs’ Council says police should only deal with breaches of the rules in pubs and restaurants “as a last resort,” if they fail to convince people to follow them.
But one pub landlord said City of London Police officers had told him they had extra resources to patrol pubs from Wednesday to Saturday each week, and planned to fine repeat offenders £1000 for breaking the rules.
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality, said: “Businesses are having a hard enough time surviving at the minute. Taking a really hard-line approach, when businesses are already working their hardest to keep customers and staff safe helps nobody. There needs to be a degree of common sense when enforcing the rules and we need to avoid putting even more pressure on staff and businesses.”
The British Beer and Pub Association said a major national pub chain had reported issues on Wednesday night from police and Environmental Health officers.
A spokesman for City of London Police said officers would only enforce legislation “where absolutely necessary”, adding: “It is for local authorities to decide how to monitor pubs in Tier 2 and how they apply the substantial meal rules”
