Strippers blasted for breaching Covid rules by dancing naked too close to punters
dailystar.co.ukpub broke Covid social distancing rules, local council chiefs have claimed. Ye Old Axe on Hackney Road, east London was slapped with a £1,000 fine for various breaches of coronavirus rules last year.As the venue applies to renew its sexual establishment licence, its shortcomings from last year have been revealed.
On two visits to Ye Old Axe in June and July 2021, licensing officials found there to be no NHS track and trace QR codes nor a physical form for punters to sign in.
Social distancing was also flouted as was mandatory table service while customers reportedly roamed freely in the pub without face coverings.Lawyer David Forbes said the pub lifted all restrictions prematurely by mistake, the Hackney Gazette reports.Government restrictions were set to be lifted in England on June 26 only for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to push it back to July 19.Confusion arose at Ye Old Axe when landlord Thomas Melody was called away from the day to day running of the pub which later cost him a £1,000 fine.A report by the undercover licensing officers said: "Customers were approached or appeared to be able to approach numerous women in the bar area, and were escorted by the women to a large upstairs room where for either £40 or £60 the women stripped completely."The report added that "intimate and physical" dances overstepped its licence which states performers must be separated from customers.Lawyer Mr Forbes explained that Mr Melody was unaware of the close proximity between dancers and customers.Mr Melody insisted that it would not happen again and last year's fixed penalty notice was enough of a punishment.
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