North Yorkshire leaders urge people to 'go home safely' after 10pm closure of pubs and restaurants

Police and public health leaders are urging people to 'go home safely' once pubs and restaurants close at 10pm in North Yorkshire this weekend.

They want to avoid a repeat of scenes in York city centre last Saturday night which made headlines across the country when dozens gathered in the street singing and dancing.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum is asking people in the county to enjoy their night out and support the night time economy, but make plans for getting home safely and stick to their plan.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for North Yorkshire Police’s response to Covid-19, and the chair of the North Yorkshire Strategic Coordination Group, said:

“I am sure that people enjoying the freedom to go out and about in North Yorkshire this weekend do not want to see the enforced interventions being seen in many other northern areas being imposed on the county.

“We must all do what we can to stem the tide of infection and this means that people wanting to enjoy a night out in the pub or restaurant take all the necessary steps to make sure they can get home safely and quickly.

“We’ve been working very closely with our partners across the region to make sure all the relevant steps to slow the spread of this virus have been taken, to make the City of York and North Yorkshire as a whole as safe as possible to visit.

“However, it’s not just down to police, partners, business owners and licensees to stop the spread of this deadly virus, it’s also down to the public to make the right decisions and abide by the regulations.

“We have been living with Covid-19 for some time now and we all know the devastating impact it could have on our loved-ones, families, businesses and our NHS. We also know what we have to do to halt the spread – think hands, face, space, wear a face covering and try to limit contact as much as possible.

“North Yorkshire Police will continue to do everything within our power to keep the people of North Yorkshire safe. We know the majority of the public will join us and follow the rules. Those who do not, and who put the vulnerable among us at risk, should fully expect police to take action against them.

“So my advice to anyone who is thinking of enjoying a night out this weekend is to follow the regulations, otherwise your night could suddenly become a very expensive one.”

Sharon Stoltz, director of public health at City of York Council, said:

“Gathering in large groups close to each other gives the virus the chance to spread and increases the risk for us all. We want people to enjoy themselves in our fantastic city while looking after each other."