Grin & Tonic

 Praise for ‘responsible’ drinkers as pubs are back.  Experts warn caution as ‘this hasn’t gone away’

- Jeremy Armstrong

More pubs, bars and restaurants will reopen across the country from today, as weekend drinkers were praised for “acting responsibly” at the end of lockdown.

Streets were packed in Central London into the early hours of yesterday for the first time since March.

Revellers were seen dancing and singing as some struggled to keep to the new “one metre plus” social-distancing rules.

But publicans in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds insisted it had been a “joyful” weekend, as 15 million pints flowed at around 23,000 premises.

Many landlords in England decided to wait until today to open, alongside theme parks, libraries and galleries.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the biggest easing of restrictions so far as a “success”, and claimed the drinkers had, “very, very, largely acted responsibly”.

But Chair of the Police Federation John Apter warned that some people had failed to keep their distance.

He said: “What was crystal clear is that drunk people can’t or won’t socially distance. It was a busy night, but the shift managed to cope.”

Met Police commander Bas Javid said: “The majority of the public complied with social-distancing guidelines and remained vigilant.

“While some areas were notably busy, such as Soho and Portobello Road, we are pleased there were no significant issues or incidents in the capital. It’s vital that we don’t lose track of how far we have come.”