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10pm curfew: Inspectors deployed in London to clamp down on rule-breakers

Covid inspectors in Soho, Westminster - Dan Barker 
Covid inspectors in Soho, Westminster - Dan Barker

Marshals are being deployed on the streets of London to clamp down on any bars and restaurants flouting the 10pm curfew designed to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Photos have surfaced of council-employed 'city inspectors' dressed in bright blue bibs peering through letterboxes and lingering at windows in the West End.

The famed jazz club Ronnie Scott's and popular Hippodrome Casino in Soho, Westminster, were some of the premises being examined for late-night revellers.

Westminster Council said their team of inspectors, which works around the clock, is "engaging proactively" with businesses and aims to be a "reassuring and visible presence" on the capital's streets.

The measures to root out rule-breakers come after the Government introduced a curfew forcing pubs and restaurants to close at 10pm in a bid to avoid large gatherings of drinkers staying out and potentially causing more Covid-19 infections.

Table service is now obligatory and customers are not allowed to order drinks at the bar.

However, the new rule has led to the hospitality board warning that venues should be given a "drinking up time" to avoid a "dangerous pinch point" as crowds of people leave buildings at the same time.

Drinkers and diners spilled onto city centre streets across the country at 10pm on Thursday night, flooding public transport.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, told The Telegraph: “A staggered closing time would be beneficial in reducing transmissions. A hard 10pm curfew was always going to lead to a pinch point of customers leaving pubs en masse. We made that point to the Government and called for a drinking up time to be included in the regulations.

"The first night under the curfew highlighted the problem with taking away staggered closing times and forcing everyone out onto the streets together. The Government should change the new rule to include a drinking up time. That way there would be some flexibility and reduce the risk of a log jam of customers leaving venues.”

Restaurants have complained that the new restriction is severely affecting their takings. Others have criticised police for coming into premises just before the 10pm curfew and instructing customers to pay and be ready to leave.

In order to offset the lost hours, some venues are opening earlier in the day and letting punters in for happy hours as early as 4pm.