Pub bans under-12s for unruly behaviour and failing to socially distance

Lucy Draper, who has run the Compass Inn in the New Forest for 25 years, took the step after customers walked out because of badly behaved youngsters.

The 66-year-old told the PA news agency: “I have had a very strict code in here for years, we have always had a note up to say ‘Please get your children to behave on behalf of people in the pub’.

“It’s got worse with people not disciplining their children when they are noisy and, on top of that, with the Covid regulations, where everyone has to be seated, I was always telling children to sit down – they are wandering around, putting their fingers everywhere.

“We are a tiny pub with three small rooms. If a child starts crying or screaming, it’s upsetting our locals.

“It’s not the children’s fault, it’s the parents – they are just not disciplining their children when they are climbing on furniture, shouting and screaming.”

Ms Draper said her regulars were in favour of the move which would restrict younger children solely to Sunday lunchtimes, and added: “They are all for it. They come for a quiet drink, I’ve had customers saying they had to leave because the children were so badly behaved.

“It’s a crying shame for all the good families but unfortunately there’s a lot of bad ones out there.”

The move has prompted hundreds of comments on the pub’s Facebook page, many in favour and some against.

One person wrote: “Awesome. As someone who lives a childfree lifestyle, there needs to be many more places like this. It is extremely frustrating going somewhere and encountering brats at a place where they do not belong.”

But another posted: “I won’t be visiting that’s for sure, nor will I be recommending you. Its a disgusting move.”