Chesterfield area pubs 'stayed open' over weekend despite coronavirus order to shut

Toby Perkins says any venues flouting the order made by the Prime Minister on Friday should be stripped of their licence and possibly face criminal charges.

Boris Johnson said all pubs, restaurants and cafes must close to help in the fight against the virus.

All the UK's nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres were also told to shut ‘as soon as they reasonably can’.

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However, police in Clay Cross said they had been called to a pub which was ignoring the order, and Mr Perkins says he has been informed another pub in Chesterfield also stayed open ‘by the back door’ for a ‘private party for regulars’.

“Publicans who have ignored this order should at the very least lose their licence,” the Labour MP said.

“I would be calling on the council to remove the licence from anyone ignoring it. But there is also a question of whether or not it is a criminal matter.”

Mr Perkins also hit out after pictures were widely circulated on social media of bikers gathering at Matlock Bath on Sunday ‘as if it was a bank holiday’.

“Many of us feel that the actions the Government is taking are too little, too late,” he said.

“If people are still under the impression that packing into chip shops in Matlock Bath is an appropriate way to spend their Sunday afternoons at the current time then clearly the message is not getting across.

“People ignoring the calls to social distance are being extremely selfish. Even if you survive, you may kill someone else not as strong through your actions.

“Also, young people should not feel they are immune. A lot of young people have become very gravely ill as a result of this virus.

“It is incredibly important they take seriously the scale of this crisis and behave responsibly,” Mr Perkins added.