Concerns about Bolton's coronavirus restrictions as drinkers travel to pubs in Wigan

The Conservative leader of Bolton Council says the area’s hospitality sector has been “thrown to the lions” by the Government’s coronavirus restrictions.
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David Greenhalgh told BBC News the borough’s strict measures, which mean pubs and restaurants can only provide takeaway food and drink, were “breeding resentment” in the Greater Manchester town.

The restrictions were brought in earlier this month when Bolton was experiencing the highest rate of coronavirus cases in the country.

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Mr Greenhalgh said in the three weeks since then other boroughs in England had experienced higher infection rates but had not seen the same restrictions on hospitality.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy BurnhamGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham

He said residents were continuing to visit pubs in surrounding boroughs, such as Wigan, which remain open, and the measures had not stopped the spread of Covid-19.

He said people in the area felt “forgotten” and questioned whether the Government understood the disparity in restrictions across the country.

He said: “I still think there’s an element of Government, because the restrictions are so complex, that doesn’t understand the huge disparities there are up and down the country.”

He said businesses were on the “brink of bankruptcy”.

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He added: “These are people who have put their life savings into business ventures that are successful but are just not now being allowed to operate, and the Government, I plead with them, they now need to recognise this huge disparity, this inequality, which is unacceptable.”

Bolton recorded 595 new cases in the seven days to September 26, the equivalent of 206.9 cases per 100,000 people, down from 221.9 per 100,000 in the seven days to September 19.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he thought Bolton had been “forgotten about” by national politicians.

He said: “There are many places today that have a higher case rate than Bolton but their hospitality remains open and it’s this lack of consistency that I think is making people lose faith in what is going on.

“The sense of injustice in Bolton is very, very real today.

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“I would say it’s simple – either the Government closes hospitality in areas with higher case rates, with full compensation by the way.

“If they’re not prepared to do that, they should let Bolton open. It’s got to be one or the other.”

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