What Sheffield's pub landlords thought after the first weekend of the new 10pm coronavirus curfew

Police patrolled the streets and bar staff cleared away street furniture as strict closing times were seen being enforced and little reports of disorder.

Tom Boulding is landlord and licensee of Fagan’s on Broad Street said: “Everybody’s been really compliant; wearing masks coming in, wearing masks going out, wearing masks going to the toilet and by 9.55pm the premises was completely empty.

"It’s all very civilised and working down here, I don’t know about other places but we’re a very old fashioned pub and perhaps have old-fashioned customers but they’re very polite and very understanding. They understand that this has come from on-high and that’s what we’ve been told to do.

"We called last orders at 9:20pm and stoped serving at half past. At least you’ve got that buffer zone so people aren’t having to force their drink down – so long as people know there’s no surprises.”

The new measures for bars, pubs, and restaurants came into play on Thursday having been announced by Boris Johnson earlier in the week as part of efforts to curb the spread of a second wave of coronavirus.

Carol Donaldson, landlady of The Railway Hotel on Bramall Lane, spoke of the difficulties of turning customers away at 10pm.

She said: “It was hard because I was having to turn people away at 9:30pm because that’s the last orders. On Saturday I had to turn at least 20 people away. At the end of the day I’ve put a lot of money into this pub so it was really sad turning them away, people I know as well.

"I just hate doing it but I’ve got to abide by the law. The trouble was a lot tried to get in at the last minute.

It’s not nice, I hate saying to them they’ve got to go home.

"One or two had a grumble leaving at 10pm. I think some forget as well. It’s awful but what can I do it’s the law.

"I had the police in on Sunday and they were pleased I was abiding by the law, so that was one good thing to come from it.”

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