More pubs told to improve safety measures

BRIDGEND Council has told two more pubs to follow coronavirus rules or face closure after they were found to have breached Welsh Government guidelines.

Council staff served improvement notices to the Greenmeadow Inn, Llangeinor, and King Alfred, Maesteg, over the weekend after they were found to have not been following coronavirus regulations.

Enforcement officers from the Shared Regulartory Service (SRS), a partnership between Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils, visited the pubs on Friday, October 17.

They discovered the Greenmeadow Inn was not ensuring that people in the pub kept twometres apart and customers were playing pool, going to the toilet and going outdoors to smoke without wearing face masks.

Officers found that customers at the King Alfred were not social distancing and they were ordering drinks at the bar when the pub should have been using table service.

They also said the pub was playing “very loud” music, there were “too many people” on the premises to be able to maintain social distancing and people from different households were sat at the same tables.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel said: “Enforcement officers carry out Covid-19 compliance checks in a rolling programme across the different trade sectors, including the licensed trade.

“In identifying premises that need to be prioritised for visits, officers will take into account complaints and concerns raised by members of the public.

“As part of their inspections, officers from the Shared Regulatory Services provide support and advice to help businesses meet their responsibilities in keeping staff and customers safe.

“With cases of coronavirus increasing across the county borough, ensuring these measures are being taken is a vital part of helping to keep residents safe.”