‘We need clearer rules’, says fined Landlord of the Ship and Castle
Breach was ‘honest mistake, due to confusion over changing restrictions’
THE landlord of a Portsmouth pub fined for breaching Covid restrictions has apologised for the error – and called on the government to make it easier to keep up with the changing rules.
Steve Fitzgerald, the landlord of The Ship and Castle in Rudmore Road, was hit with a £1,000 fine after a wake on the premises breached restrictions at the end of October.
The breach was an honest mistake made due to both the organisers and the staff not realising rules around guest numbers had changed, according to Steve.
The landlord of the Fuller’s-owned pub said: 'The people organising the wake themselves didn’t realise the rules had changed. There were 28 people here. They thought 30 was the limit. The gover nment had changed the rules about seven days before.
'Everyone was well behaved and everyone knew the other rules.
‘The police and a council worker tur ned up and the officer said it was the responsibility of the landlord - but I can't keep up because there's just too much infor mation. Even Fuller's thought the limit was six people.’
At the time, the rules limited 15 people to attending wakes.
Steve added: ‘We feel we have been picked on.’
Given the sombre nature of the event, the community had responded with ‘very understanding’ messages on social media, according to the landlord.
He added: 'The people organising the wake came back three or four days later and gave us £100 extra towards the fine and they wanted to give us more but I said no.'
And the fine has compounded the pub’s plight, with the venue next to the port losing more than £80,000 in trade due to rolling restrictions and lockdowns.
The 65-year-old said: 'We have been dead since July, since travel restrictions in France and Spain came about. Every golf society, all the school kids from France enjoying their last meal in England before going home, we have lost all that trade.
'The pub is £3,000 in debt - and we still have to get more stock.’
He added: 'I know that people are drinking in Fareham and they have come from Portsmouth.
They should let pubs run their own system to keep people safe.’