'We starting to take it personally' say Wakefield pub landlords plunged into 'devastating' Tier 3 Covid rules

Sam Carney, the landlord of The Travellers Inn in Stanley, said the hospitality industry had been unfairly treated.

Alongside fellow Stanley landlords Steve Barker from the Thatched House and Lisa Smith from the Graziers, she said there was a genuine risk that there would be no pubs left in the village after the pandemic.

Sam said: “We are starting to take it personally. We’ve followed all the rules. You come in the front door and there’s a hand sanitising station, you have to scan or sign in, it’s one way system, if there is not enough room we turn customers away, you wear masks to go to toilet, we employed more staff and still we’re closed down.

“But I would be allowed to get a tattoo today, get my nails done, or go fighting with other customers in superstores.

“I wish all small business all the best, but we and the other landlords feel we’ve been victimised. It’s like the government doesn’t want pubs to exist. If it was proven that the hospitality sector was the main spread then fine, keep us shut and give us the funds we need.”

She praised for the support given by the pub’s customers.

She said: “Our customers would back us in every way they could, we are inundated with texts all the time. They are absolutely fantastic and they would support us 100 per cent.”