Police thank public for help as pubs and bars reopen

Police have thanked the public for their help and support following a relatively quiet reopening of bars and pubs at the weekend.

It comes after the relaxation of Coronavirus guidance saw venues across the county open their doors.

The majority of the weekend passed without incident, with only one pub in Abbeydale closing its doors following reports of disorder. Officers attended but at this stage no complaints have been made to the police.

Licensing officers had visited all the premises to ensure they were ready with extra patrols taking place throughout the day and evening.

Although there were a number of minor incidents as pubs closed, no arrests were made.

Chief Inspector Roddy Gosden said: "In all, it was a relatively quiet Saturday night and on the whole good humoured without the high levels of demand that we had planned for. It appeared that many people stayed away.

"Our officers and special constables did some great work to ensure that everybody remained safe, alongside our partner agencies including the local authorities and voluntary organisations like Cheltenham Guardians, Street Pastors and City Safe teams. 

"I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone for their cooperation this weekend. I would also like to thank the landlords for going above and beyond to make their venues safe places for people to visit.

"We will continue to work with pubs and clubs in the months ahead as social distancing measures remain in place."