Coronavirus: Pub reopening in border town 'doesn't make sense'

Drinkers in a town divided by the English and Welsh border will only be served beer in one of its four pubs due to differing lockdown restrictions.

Pubs in England can reopen on Saturday while pubs in Wales must remain shut.

The Brewery Arms in Saltney, Cheshire, which is separated from Wales by a railway bridge, will be allowed to open.

Three others, including its sister pub just half a mile away, will be shut as they are in Flintshire, North Wales.

UK pubs called last orders on 20 March amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is allowing pubs to reopen in England from 4 July with social distancing measures.

The Welsh government said last week work was "ongoing" as to when boozers can open but no date has been set.

Paul Gabbutt, area manager of Winwick Taverns, which runs both the Brewery Arms and the Corner Pin, said: "The two pubs are about half a mile apart but we have still got no guidance on how the Corner Pin will reopen and we don't know a date."

He said risk assessments and online staff training had been undertaken to make the Brewery Arms compliant for reopening.

Mr Gabbutt said he expected it to be busy on Saturday as it would be the only pub in Saltney serving beer.

"We're trying to do social distancing so really it would have been better that all the pubs were open.

"It doesn't make any sense, you can walk from one pub to the other."

The landlord of the Anchor, Alan Banks, said customers were confused, with many asking if it was reopening on Saturday.

"I tell them we are in Wales and we are a little bit behind England," he said.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]