Women’s World Cup last: Tory MP tells police to ‘flip a blind eye’ to pubs opening early for England v Spain conflict

A Tory MP has written to his native police power asking officers to “turn a blind eye” to pubs opening an hour early for the Women’s World Cup last this weekend.

Pubs can select once they open on Sundays, however the time from which they’ll begin promoting alcohol varies relying on every pub’s particular person licence.

Ministers have rejected calls from the Liberal Democrats to recall parliament and chill out legal guidelines round alcohol licencing, whereas MPs have known as on the authorities to disregard situations of publicans serving outdoors of their regular hours.

The Lionesses will tackle Spain within the last of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, with kick off at 11am within the UK.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has urged native councils to “do everything they can to help pubs get open earlier on Sunday, so people can come together and enjoy a drink before kick-off for this special occasion”.

But Michael Fabricant, the Conservative MP for Lichfield, has gone additional by asking his native police power to “turn a blind eye” to any pubs opening early.

In a letter to Staffordshire Police chief constable Chris Noble and Staffordshire police and hearth commissioner Ben Adams, he wrote: “As you know, the Women’s World Cup Final will be held at 11am (BST) on Sunday.

“I believe it will be a marvellous gesture if pubs might be allowed to open early and, though this could be opposite to the regulation, the police would possibly flip a blind eye on this one event solely.”

The sale of alcohol is broadly prohibited earlier than 10am on Sunday, however venues equivalent to pubs even have particular hours they’ll keep open and serve alcohol relying on particular person licences.

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Temporary modifications to licensing legal guidelines in England and Wales have been made for particular occasions up to now, such because the Euro 2020 last and the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

Under the Licensing Act 2003, tweaks to licensing legal guidelines should be accredited by each the House of Commons and the House of Lords – each of that are at the moment in recess.

The Liberal Democrats have known as on the federal government to recall parliament and “score a last-minute winner for our pubs and the Lionesses” – however that decision has been rejected.

A authorities spokesperson informed Sky News: “Recognising this momentous occasion, we want to encourage the police and local authorities to work together for maximum flexibility to make sure that the country can enjoy the match and get behind the Lionesses altogether.”

Recalling parliament would contain the taxpayer funding last-minute journey for each MPs and friends to return to Westminster, which might doubtless be very costly.

Pubs can nonetheless open from 10am, even when they can’t serve booze earlier than kick-off at 11am.