Lloyd's of London bans staff from drinking alcohol during the day

One of Britain’s oldest financial institutions has reportedly infuriated staff by introducing an alcohol ban during the day.

Lloyd’s of London told staff it had introduced the ban from 9am to 5pm and anyone caught drinking during these hours could face the sack for gross misconduct.

The firm, founded in 1688, acknowledged the City of London has "historically had a reputation for daytime drinking", but that it had to keep pace with demands of the modern world.

However the policy only applies to Lloyd’s 800 employees – not the brokers or underwriters from other firms based at the market.

One city worker told the Evening Standard: “Will we be asked to go to bed earlier soon?”

Another said it made Lloyd’s the "PC capital of the world".

A spokesperson for Lloyd’s told ITV News the ban, implemented last week, "removes any ambiguity".

In a statement they said: “We have updated our employee guidance and it provides clarification on the rules around alcohol consumption, which is prohibited during business hours.

"The guidance removes any ambiguity on the policy.

"Our employee guidance is normally updated every 18 months to ensure it reflects common practices and standards across the industry and wider business.

"This guidance ensures we are in step with the increasing businesses who adopt similar policies in relation to alcohol."