The bizarre law means you could be breaking the law by sitting in a pub
- This ‘weird’ UK law actually stems from the Metropolitan Act of 1839
- Comes as pub chains look to extend opening hours for the King’s Coronation
And so he continues, pint in hand, waxing lyrical about the state of the nation. Your ears are tired. Your attention has long since left the pub.
It was an innocuous nod that drew you in, half an hour later and you’re still there, cemented to the sticky floor, hoping for an opening to politely slip away.
The landlord catches your eye, frowns. In this briefest of windows you mime the classic ‘he’s had one too many’ gesture. What happens next could surprise you…
There is a little-known UK law that means Brits could be breaking the law by being in the pub – but how often bar staff are motivated to use it is another question.
If you are not aware of this age-old law that stems from the Metropolitan Act of 1839, you face being slapped with a £200 fine (File image)
This comes as pub chains such as Wetherspoons, Greene King and Fullers have announced they are looking at extending their opening hours for the King’s Coronation
With pub chains like Wetherspoons, Greene King and Fullers all looking to extend their opening hours for the King’s Coronation , having a few pints might seem like harmless thing.
But if you’re not aware of this age-old law, you risk being hit with a £200 fine.
According to solicitors at Britton and Time there’s ‘one weird UK law’ that many people don’t know about.
And, it all stems from the Metropolitan Act of 1839.
A spokesman the London and Hove-based firm says: ‘A weird UK law, which may come as a big shock to many is the fact you’re not actually allowed to be drunk in a pub.
‘According to the Metropolitan Act of 1839, it’s against the law for the “keeper of a public house to permit drunkenness on-premises”.’
The spokesman continued that under a different Act, it is also illegal to serve people when they are already inebriated.
Pubs and nightclubs routinely break a law which says they should refuse to serve people who are already drunk, research has claimed.
A 2014 study – carried out by a team at the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention at Liverpool John Moores University – sent actors to 73 pubs, bars and clubs in the north west of England and ordered a vodka and coke in a ‘loud, slurred’ voice.
Some 84% of the time they were served – with the success rate rising to 94 per cent on Friday nights and 96% after midnight.
The spcontinued: ‘Under the Licensing Act 2003, it’s also illegal to serve acholic beverages to patrons who are already intoxicated or purchase alcohol on behalf of someone who is already drunk.
‘So, if you leave the house and drink over three to four pints, you might be facing a £200 fine.’
This comes as Wetherspoons announced that it will open for an hour longer on Sunday, 7 May, to allow visitors more time to drink in one of their 844 pubs following King Charles’ coronation ceremony.
The pubs that close at 10pm will be allowed to stay open until 11pm, whilst others can stay open until 12am or 1am, depending upon each venue’s licence.
Meanwhile, pub chains such as Greene King and Fullers have said that some of their pubs will also be extending their opening hours for the occasion, according to The Sun.
But the drinking law is not the only one that people in the UK unknowingly break – perhaps even daily.
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