Scottish pub 'permanently closed' after failing to shut following government orders

A Scottish pub has ‘permanently closed’ after it failed to temporarily shut following government advice amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Cheers Bar in Greenock remained open on Saturday despite the Prime Minister’s orders that all bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes should close by the end of Friday (March 20) to control the spread of COVID-19.

As drinkers gathered in the pub the day after Boris Johnson’s announcement, a mass brawl ensued at the premise leading to one man’s arrest and another man being injured.

The owner has since received angry messages from previous customers and Scots on social media ordering him to close and accusing him of committing a “selfish act” by leaving doors open for business.

Cheers Bar Facebook page has now been deleted and a ‘permanently closed’ message appears when searching the venue in Google.

The pub has an out-of-date Facebook page that is still running which Scots have used as a way of publicly criticising the owner.

One person commented saying the pub should close permanently after it posed a “risk to public health.”

Cheers Bar in Greenock 'permanently closed' after failing to shut doors following government orders

Others have said the owner has been “careless” leaving his pub open which stands as a “danger to other people’s lives.”

The Scotsman attempted to contact the owner.

On Saturday, boss Ian Ellis, told The Sun: “We’re going to stay open until it becomes unsafe to do so or we’re forced to close. We are sanitising the place very thoroughly. We’ve got sanitisers all over the pub. We’ve had cleaners on duty all day.

"I don’t see the difference between standing in a pub having a pint and standing in a queue in Tesco.”

He said police had been in several times to question why he was still open.

He added: “Police asked what procedures we had in place and I told them. They said they’d be back later.

“It’s business as usual. People are happy they have somewhere to go.

“A lot my customers are elderly. They feel that if they go home, they’ll die.”

On Friday, March 20, Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon called for public places including bars and pubs to close temporarily to help control the spread of COVID-19.

Police Scotland now has the power to serve emergency closure orders on pubs and entertainment venues not complying with instructions to close.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, lead for coronavirus, issued a statement today praising the “exceptionally high level of compliance across Scotland” following instructions on Friday from the Scottish and UK governments that thousands of premises must close to stop the spread of coronavirus.

He commented: “However, I am aware that a small number of public houses are intent on defying this instruction and have indicated that they will remain open until legally ordered to close.”

A police spokesman said on Saturday, following the incident: “Police attended a report of an assault having taken place at a licensed premises in West Stewart Street, Greenock, around 6pm on Saturday, 21 March.

“A man received minor injuries and a 50-year-old man has been arrested.”