Landlady defends decision to only allow locals inside Devon pub
Watch Alex Wood's report.
A Devon pub has defended its decision to only allow locals to drink inside.
A chalkboard left outside explaining the new policy has drawn national attention to the tiny King of Prussia Inn in Kingsbridge in recent days.
It reads: "LOCALS ONLY" adding: "Due to restrictions by Boris!! He has made a small pub smaller. Due to the small capacity, we can only accommodate our locals."Landlady Sara Roberton, who runs the pub with her partner Tim Newman, said in the first lockdown they tried to politely explain to visitors they did not have room but she said nobody would listen.
So now the pub has displayed the 'locals only' sign instead.
The display went viral after a GP from Nottingham thought the sign was not friendly to holidaymakers and posted a picture of it on Twitter.
But Sara says he took his picture on a rainy day, and the white chalk explanation of how small the pub is had been washed off.
"Unfortunately it went mad on Twitter after a doctor from Nottingham took a picture and posted it, all my locals had a go at him and he took the picture down and that was that," she explained.
"I get fed up of people taking pictures of the sign all the time. We tried it the polite way in the first lockdown. We had a polite notice board but nobody read it.
"We are such a small pub. I'm fine with my regulars. They are here all year-round. I don't think my regulars should have to go without a seat because of visitors.
"I'm not opposed to them sitting outside. We've had a few in who asked if they can take a drink outside and we're fine with that. It's not because we're unfriendly, we just don't have space.
"It's not my fault the government made all these rules. Now it's all table service and everyone has to remain at their table. We used to have five tables but we've taken the pool table out to make room for two more.
"We are already crazy busy running table service. I don't have time to keep stopping and trying to explain the rules. I don't survive on the holidaymakers who come in and buy one drink.
"It's our regulars who come in all year round who are important to us. I know other businesses in the town need the holidaymakers but we are not a tourist business."
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