"We must put safety first" - More city centre pubs say they won't reopen on July 4

The Dun Cow in High Street West and the Engine Room at the Fire Station, which sits a few metres away, say the move is one of caution to provide the maximum health and safety for staff and customers.

The announcement follows a similar statement from the management team which runs Ttonic, Chaplin’s, The Point, Glitter Ball and Arizona.

The Dun Cow and the Engine Room are operated by the Houghton based Pub Culture which confirmed to the Echo it will not be opening the venues this weekend either and that there was no definite date for reopening.

Operations and finance director of Pub Culture, Ian High, said: “The health and safety of our staff and customers is our top priority.

“We are working through the guidelines provided for the hospitality industry and want to make sure that when we open, we are providing the safest possible environment.

“We will not be opening on the 4th July as we continue to work through a risk assessment of our venues including planning and staff training, allowing us to put in place measures to keep people safe.

“We will let people know when we are reopening via our social media channels and look forward to welcoming our customers back when we are fully prepared.

“I know some people will find this news disappointing, but we must put safety first.”

The Peacock pub nearby is also owned by Pub Culture, but is operated separately, and has also not made a decision on a reopening date yet.

A social media statement from the Peacock said: “We are currently working to see if we can do this (reopen) while providing a safe and comfortable provision.”

Fitzgerald’s in Green Terrace is also yet to decide.

On June 23 the Prime Minister announced that pubs and restaurants can reopen in England on this Saturday and the two-metre social distancing rule which has been place since March, can be reduced to one metre to keep venues financially viable.

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