A pub in Bristol has asked that children “remain seated” after three incidents in which children were injured.
The Victoria Park pub in Windmill Hill shared a post on a board outside the venue, which read: “We politely ask that children remain seated,” as reported by ITV.
“After a recent health and safety evaluation, we have made the decision to change our policy asking that children remain seated with their parent/guardians for the duration of their visit.”
It continued: “We value our young guests immensely and love when they come to visit us but after a small number of children have received minor injuries, we have made this decision to protect our younger guests from harm, as is our duty of care obligated by law.”
The decision has polarised locals. While some have expressed concern about the safety of children running around while staff are carrying hot food and trays of drinks, parents have said that it makes them feel unwelcome.
There are no set rules for if and when children are allowed in pubs, as policies vary by business.
However, children under 16 cannot be unaccompanied on licensed premises between the hours of midnight and 5am, when the premises are open for the purposes of being used for the sale and consumption of alcohol, according to Lawble.
Some pubs allow children up to a certain time, others ban them entirely, while some have dedicated play areas for children or child-friendly menus.
The Wetherspoon pub chain, for example, says: “Families are welcome to dine in the majority of our pubs; however, permitted hours for customers aged under 18 years may vary from pub to pub.”
Meanwhile, the Greene King pub chain says: “At Greene King we have a selection of pubs perfect for enjoying time with the family with venues offering features such as enclosed beer gardens, children’s play area for the kids, making them the perfect family-friendly venue.”
However, this wasn’t always the case. Children under 14 years old have only been allowed to visit pubs since 1995, when pubs became allowed to apply for a “children’s certificate” as long as they had a bar that served soft drinks and food. Children then had to leave the pub by 9pm.
