A WILLITON landlady who fears that the latest Covid-19 restrictions could put half the country’s pubs out of business, this week had collected more than 7,000 signatures on a petition calling on the prime minister to allow pubs to fully trade in tiers 1 and 2.

Aimee Trigell, owner of the Mason’s Arms for the last four years, decided to take action over the ‘dire situation’ pubs are facing. Within a day of starting the online petition she had more than 1,000 signatures and by Thursday morning this had risen to 7,264.

The petition calls on the public to help and says: “If we could fully trade in tiers 1 and 2 it would give us half a chance!”

Aimee and partner Simon James opened The Mason’s Arms again on Wednesday this week after the recent lockdown ended, but being in tier 2 means alcohol must be served as part of a substantial meal, with last orders at 10pm, and people only allowed to socialise indoors with their own households.

She told the Free Press she felt pubs were really being penalised at the moment. “It’s going to take years for everyone to get back on their feet. I reckon there will be half the number of pubs next year,” she said.

“It’s a hard industry anyway, but years of hard work have gone down the pan, and some people are already thousands of pounds in debt trying to keep themselves above water.”

At the Mason’s Arms, she said, they are keeping their fingers crossed that on December 16 – when the Government reviews the current tier system) – the area will be able to move into tier 1. “It would do us a world of good,” she said.

It would also mean all ten staff, who have been on furlough, could come back to work, rather than only the chef and a waiter who have currently been brought back for the run up to Christmas.

“We have done all we can to be Covid-safe. We have taken away tables and only allow 30 people at a time, although we normally can seat 60. If we are in tier 1 we could just break even and tick over, otherwise we will have to close in January and not re-open until February,” she said. “This is a little village pub. A number of old people come in and it makes their day, because they don’t see anyone else.”

During the first lockdown, the pub carried on providing meals locally, including for elderly and vulnerable people, but with 65-hour weeks, and three young children, Aimee said they could not do it again during the second lockdown. Instead, they have been working hard to put in a new kitchen floor and fix up the building, including getting ready for Christmas.

Aimee’s petition can be found at change.org, search for ‘pubs trade in tiers 1 and 2’.