UK police say drunk people cannot socially distance after govt reopened pubs

While England’s hospitality sector resumed on July 4 with adherence to health safety measures, UK police noted that the drunk people cannot socially distance after scenes of chaos were witnessed on the first day when the bars reopened. A UK police officer warned while posting footage from the scene outside SOHO after finishing a late shift that drunk people failed miserably at staying 2 meters apart.  

"A predictably busy night and confirmed what we knew, alcohol and social distancing is not a good combination," John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, a staff association for police in England and Wales tweeted. While on duty in the southern England city of Southampton, Apter said that he had encountered intoxicated gathering which consisted of "happy drunks, angry drunks” and there were “fights, naked men as well as antisocial behaviour”.

Speaking with a London based Radio broadcaster, Apter noted, "What was crystal clear is that drunk people can't socially distance.” However, he indicated that his police department in the southern city of Southampton somehow managed to cope with the chaos. Further, he stated that in some areas, on the first night of resumption of hospitality where drunk people clustered, officers were assaulted.  

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Police ask people to be 'responsible'

In a post on Twitter, London's Metropolitan Police asked the people to "please be responsible, stay safe and follow social distancing and other guidance that has been put in place". Renowned for the street pubs and bars, the central London district of Soho witnessed huge crowd and party-goers. According to reports, police officers detained four as reports of a smashed window, and minor assaults emerged and at least five pubs in Nottinghamshire, in England's East Midlands region reported anti-social behaviour to the police and shuttered down early. More than 1,000 calls were received from members of the public related to "drink-related disorder” and chaos, Devon and Cornwall Police, in southwest England said in a statement online.  

UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said that he was “pleased” to see how July 4 went while speaking to a state broadcaster. Although there are some pictures to the contrary, very, very large people have acted responsibly, he added. On July 4, Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted restrictions on the UK's 60,000 pubs that had remained shuttered for 15 weeks to fight the coronavirus pandemic. 

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(Image Credit: AP)