Reopening England’s pubs on 4 July is ‘perfect storm’ for disorder, police say

Senior officers criticise decision to reopen pubs on a Saturday amid potential tensions over queues and capacity issues

Police are bracing for a “perfect storm” of drunkenness and disorder after ministers decided that pubs would open for the first time in more than three months on a weekend.

Drinking establishments will reopen their doors on Saturday 4 July, but senior officers warn that restrictions should have been lifted on a weekday to reduce the risk of chaos.

Police believe that the government’s “one metre plus” social-distancing rules could increase tensions, on what is forecast to be a warm and sunny day for much of the country.

One officer likened the oncoming revelry to “weeks of New Year’s Eves”, calling the timing and conditions a “perfect storm”.

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, warned the decision to reopen all English pubs at the same time would add pressure on police, paramedics and the NHS by causing a sharp increase in fights and drunkenness.

“The announcement of this easing of lockdown has been done in such a way that a head of steam will be gathering between now and 4 July, which could be seen by some as a countdown to party time, which is not accurate and certainly not the message we want to send,” chair John Apter added.

“This leads to issues that the police will have to deal with. Firstly, of course, there are worries about alcohol consumption leading to drunken and irresponsible behaviour.

“There’s also the concern that people who can’t get into pubs because of restrictions that are still in place may cause conflict.”

Mr Apter said that although businesses needed to survive “public safety must be paramount”, and urged pub-goers to be responsible and adhere to continued restrictions.

“The public have shown support for their key workers during lockdown – they can continue to give support by behaving sensibly now,” he added.

Phil Weaver, owner of The Old Smith in Church Lawford, Warwickshire, pours a drink as pub and hospitality bosses have cheered the government’s proposals to allow customers through their doors again (PA)

Police fear that as people flock back to their locals, over queueing, capacity and requirements for customers’ contact details to be taken.

Saturdays are normally the busiest night for pub fights, and disorder also tends to rise in hot and sunny weather. It will also be the first weekend after pay day for many workers.

The closure of pubs and bars was among the drivers of a sharp fall in crime since restrictions came into force on 23 March, because of the correlation between the night-time economy, assaults and other offences.

The president of the Police Superintendents’ Association said officers would have preferred a “soft launch” on a Monday or weekday.

“There is a risk on a weekend day, particularly if the weather is good, that there could be some challenges ahead for policing but the reality is we will deal with the demand,” Chief Superintendent Paul Griffiths told The Independent.

“As a service we will gear ourselves accordingly and in areas where we think tensions might play out we’ll have a presence.”

Ch Supt Griffiths voiced hope that people would be “understanding of the situation they find themselves in” regarding queues and capacity, and pointed out there were only a small number of minor incidents in supermarkets amid looting fears at the start of lockdown.

Steve Kent, chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said it would have been better to reopen pubs on a Monday or midweek to “dampen initial spirits”.

“If it’s going to be on a Saturday and if the weather does turn out to be really hot, then it is going to unfortunately be a bit of a perfect storm,” he added.

“It’s likely that there are going to be, unfortunately, some occasions of disorder. Thankfully the force has been planning this for a while and they’re planning it with increased staffing, so I hope that officers are exposed as little as possible.”

Mr Kent added: “I think we’re going to have a couple of weeks of New Year’s Eves.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council's lead for alcohol licencing urged people to “remember that coronavirus is still a serious risk to health” and follow guidance.

“The vast majority of drinkers are responsible but we know some people will drink to excess and become vulnerable to harm or indeed cause harm to others,” said Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Kearton.

“The key advice is to know your limits, plan your day and consider how you will get home safely.

“Anti-social and criminal behaviour is not acceptable and police continue to work with the night time economy to maximise safety and cut crime.”

Other officials have questioned the timing of the move, amid warnings from health leaders of a second wave of coronavirus.

Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, accused the government of “coming down on the side of risk, rather than caution” and prioritising the economy over health.

“The plan to open everything on a Saturday is, I think, a mistake,” he said.

“I think people in local police forces and councils across the country will think: why? Why is all of that happening on a Saturday?”

As well as pubs, restaurants, hotels, cinemas, places of worship and hair salons are among the businesses allowed to reopen on 4 July, while others including nightclubs and gyms must remain closed.

In pubs, drinkers will be urged to stay one metre apart and use other protection, like masks or screens where possible.

Table service is being encouraged to reduce the amount of interaction on shared surfaces, and managers will be asked to take customers’ contact details so they can be traced by the NHS if a fellow drinker has coronavirus.

According to government guidance, people from a maximum of two households will be able to visit pubs together, although it is unclear how the rule will be enforced.