Bank Holiday booze-up! Revellers brave the cold for a night on the tiles

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City centres across Britain were last night teeming with jubilant revellers toasting in the August Bank Holiday Monday. 

Nightclubs remain closed but pubs and bars drew crowds of people seizing upon the long weekend, and a day off work, to enjoy an evening out.

Unseasonably cold temperatures of 6C in the North East did not deter drinkers in Newcastle and Leeds, who headed out into the chill wearing only light clothing.   

People even braved outdoor seating areas, which have boomed during the pandemic as venues looked to increase space as capacity indoors was limited by social distancing rules.

But social distancing appeared to fray as the celebrations continued into the early hours and drinks glasses were emptied.  

Drunken revellers were seen staggering home looking worse-for-wear, while in Leeds the night was marred by injury as a man with a bloodied nose was seen being tended to by friends. 

Venues are expected to be packed again tonight as the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme draws to a close. 

Rishi Sunak’s initiative to drive footfall into cash-starved eateries by offering half-price meals on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August was popular with millions of diners. 

It helped breathe life back into the beleagured hospitality industry, which suffered a hammer-blow during the three months of lockdown. 

But while the threat of a second spike looms large – 1,715 people tested positive yesterday, the biggest daily rise in 12 weeks – coronavirus curbs remain.

Pubs and bars and expected to make their venues Covid-secure by enforcing social distancing, with many encouraged to embrace al-fresco style dining to free-up space indoors. 

Most require customers to provide contact details so they can be traced in the event of a case of infection by another punter. 

Yet while Covid-19 continues to cast a shadow over much of daily life, there were little signs of social distancing during yesterday’s Bank Holiday celebrations.

Crowds of people were pictured bunched together outside bars and pubs in Newcastle and Leeds, both famed for their vibrant nightlife.  

Landlords are braced for another busy night as diners plan to leap upon the final night of discounted meals, bankrolled by the Treasury. 

The deal, dubbed ‘Rishi’s dishes’, means the government pays 50 per cent of the bill up to £10 per head for people who eat at participating restaurants between Monday and Wednesday.

The Chancellor said more than 64million meals had been claimed since the initiative was launched at the beginning of August.

But there are calls for the subsidy to be maintained in city centres, amid fears they are being hollowed out by millions of people working from home during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, pub operator JD Wetherspoon has said it will fund discounts on meals from Monday to Wednesday until at least November 11, describing the scheme as a ‘great boost’ to the hospitality industry.

The programme was part of an attempt to boost the hospitality industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Sunak said: ‘As the Eat Out to Help Out scheme draws to a close, I want to say thank you to the diners who have fallen back in love with their local.

‘To the managers who have spent weeks ensuring their restaurants were safe and to the chefs, waiters and waitresses across the country who have worked tirelessly, sometimes with more customers than they’ve ever had before – all helping to protect 1.8 million jobs in the hospitality sector.

‘The scheme reminded us why we as a nation love dining out and I urge diners to maintain the momentum to help continue our economic recovery.’