Council wants pubs in London’s Soho and West End to limit standing

Westminster councillor Tim Barnes said the council wanted to encourage venues to ‘manage their customers so people don’t pack on to pavements’. Photograph: fotoVoyager/Getty Images

Waiting at the bar and trying to catch the bartender’s eye so you can order a pint, before going to stand with your friends and have a catchup, has been how British people have experienced going to the pub for centuries.

But Westminster council has been accused of trying to put a stop to it. The council, which has jurisdiction over one of the busiest nightlife districts in Europe – Soho and the West End – has recommended not allowing “vertical drinking” or ordering at the bar in its new draft licensing policy.