Owner of Northampton pub handed prohibition order over Covid breach allegations threatens legal action against council

A complaint has been lodged and legal action is being considered against Northampton Borough Council by the owner of a pub served with a prohibition notice following allegations of a breach of the Covid-19 regulations.

The Old House in Wellingborough Road was handed the notice after council inspectors said they saw customers in the pub, through the window, after 10pm on October 23.The prohibition notice, seen by the Chronicle & Echo, says ‘officers witnessed people identified as members of the public on the premises consuming drinks in the area between the bar and the toilets’ and that ‘staff were making no effort to remove them’.

Inspectors approached a member of staff on the door, but did not enter the premises.

However, the owner of the pub, who does not wish to be named, claims the activity identified on the notice is incorrect as no customers were drinking.

He says there were two ‘young females’ left on the premises just before 10pm, one of whom needed to use the bathroom and the other did not want to wait outside alone, so she was told by staff that she could wait inside. The owner says both women left by 10.06pm.

The owner says he was being a ‘responsible licensee’ and ‘looking after his patrons’ by not letting the woman stand alone in the dark.

An official complaint has now been lodged by the owner against the council regarding the notice, which orders the business to stop the activities that breach the guidelines. Failure to comply with the notice can result in a fine or court action. The complaint is now being investigated.

As well as the official complaint, the owner is also intending to take legal action against the council due to the ‘damage caused’ to his business.

A Northampton Borough Council spokesman said: “We have received a challenge from the owner on this matter and that is working its way through our complaints process.”

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