Pontypool pub fined as drinkers found inside

Nine further FPNs for COVID breaches were issued, in addition to the £1,000 fine for the pub owner, as part of the investigation by Gwent Police and Torfaen County Borough Council.

A pub owner from Pontypool has received a fine of £1,000 after breaching coronavirus legislation, after several people who did not reside at the property were found drinking inside.

Officers were called to the Pegasus pub, Hill Street, Pontnewynydd, at around 8.30pm on Friday 22 January after receiving reports of a gathering taking place.

After an initially refusal by the occupants to allow access to the premises, officers discovered nine people inside the pub on gaining entry; five of whom were drinking alcohol.

Inspector Aled George said:

“We will take action to keep the public safe by working together with our partner agencies.

“For those who continue to breach COVID-19 regulations, we’ll take enforcement action against the public and businesses who flout the guidance and act irresponsibly.

“This was a blatant breach of those regulations and there can be no excuses for this type of behaviour. These actions can put lives at risk and members of their communities.

“Most businesses and residents are doing the right thing by adhering to Welsh Government regulations. We would like to thank them for their support.

“We will continue to engage, explain and encourage our communities to work together with us to keep everyone safe. Everyone has a part to play in stopping the spread of this virus.

“However, the levels of coronavirus in our communities remain high across much of Gwent, and by following Welsh Government regulations we’re all saving lives and protecting the NHS. 

“We understand that this is hard time for everyone, but we’re asking the people of Torfaen, and the wider Gwent region, to do the right thing for their communities.”

As a result of our investigation, with assistance from Torfaen County Borough Council, the business owner has received a fixed penalty notice for failure to close business or service premises not permitted to be open in alert level four area of Wales.

Nine fixed penalty notices were issued to those present at the licensed premises. In total, eight separate households were identified by officers as being present.

Councillor Mandy Owen, Torfaen council’s executive member for the environment, said:

“Our Covid enforcement officers have been working hard to engage with businesses in a supportive and sympathetic manner to ensure they are Covid compliant.

“However, it appears a small minority of businesses are not taking the health risks seriously, which is where joint working with Gwent Police has come into action.

 “The excellent approach to partnership working adopted between Gwent Police and our officers has enabled us to provide a robust response to ensure the safety of Torfaen residents.

“Covid-19 is a real threat to our residents, and we all have a responsibility to keep each other safe.”