(Sharecast News) - Pub chain Wetherspoon said half of its pubs would remain closed under the UK government's tiered system when the national lockdown ends on December 2.
The company, headed by outspoken chief executive Tim Martin, said 366 pubs would be shut and accused the government of extending lockdown "by stealth".
It added that the new system, where tier 3 was the most severe, represented "another raft of regulations, which has effectively closed half our pubs".
"The company has campaigned for pubs to revert to the rules agreed between the pub industry, civil servants, local authorities and health officials, which were introduced when pubs reopened in July," Martin said.
"These rules greatly reduced pub capacity and provided strict social distancing and hygiene standards but, with difficultly, allowed pubs to trade viably. It is very disappointing that yet another raft of regulations has been introduced, which has effectively closed half our pubs.
The company had 366 pubs which would remain closed, with 315 of these pubs in tier three in England and 51 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Thirteen pubs in England were classified as tier one, while there were 51 pubs in Wales, where the regulations approximate to tier one in England.
Wetherspoon (J.D) (JDW)1 May 2024 13:49