Staff at historic Greenwich pub fume at fine for lockdown breach when all about them people are breaking rules

By Miranda Slade

Thameside pub The Trafalgar Tavern, on Park Row, Greenwich, turned their terrace into a site of protest after receiving a £1000 fine from the Metropolitan Police on Saturday November 21.

Despite lockdown restrictions, many boozers, restaurants, and market traders made the most of a busy Saturday afternoon in Greenwich by selling takeaway food and drink.

Meanwhile, the Grade II listed 183-year-old Trafalgar Tavern – which featured in Charles Dickens’ 1865 novel Our Mutual Friend – was closing up, clearing away their takeaway counter and cordoning off their riverside terrace.

Walkers on the popular Thames path route where the tavern sits were greeted instead by homemade signs with scathing messages to Boris Johnson, Cressida Dick and ‘Priti ‘Bully’ Patel’.

The signs appeared to have been hastily printed and put up by management. They read: ‘To our loyal and beautiful customers: The Met Police have today issued the Trafalgar Tavern a £1,000 fine for lawfully abiding citizens consuming lawfully purchased food and drink in this vicinity. This fine will be appealed.’

Paul Rossiter, 37, a catering manager from Westcombe Park, saw a police van and ‘two or three police officers’ at the scene. He said: ‘There were probably about 30-40 people stood around. The posters had pretty damning words on them about Boris Johnson and Priti ‘Bully’ Patel.’

“Every pub, pretty much, nearby was serving takeaway drinks and food. I feel sympathy for the Trafalgar. I think the pub should do whatever they can to stay afloat, but they have to make sure to do it in a socially distanced manner.”

The Trafalgar Tavern have not responded to requests for comment.