The Barley Mow pub in Hartford says it will be keeping some Covid restrictions in place despite being given the go-ahead by the Government to open up as it wants to take a more cautious approach.

The pub is not alone, most supermarkets are asking customers to continue wearing facemasks as a precaution and Hinchingbrooke Hospital has come out and said it wants visitors to wear face coverings for the foreseeable future.

From midnight on July 19, all remaining legal lockdown restrictions were lifted in England, but there is still some hesitation for some who feel with Covid case numbers rising, it may be too soon.

Barley Mow landlady Jenny Williams said she wanted to take a more cautious approach.

Jenny said: “I have decided that I am not lifting restrictions today (Monday) I am still doing table service indoors, but I am not going to put tables back in.

“So there will still be socially distanced tables and staff will be wearing masks for those people who want us to.

“That is quite important for me, to do all these things to keep people safe up until now and that will not stop today.

“I am not going to force people to wear a mask or to do Track and Trace, but that is the only difference that they are going to see.”

Jenny says she has plans to host a party for NHS staff next year.

“I would love to hold a party next year for the NHS, mostly staff from Hinchingbrooke, but also other people from the NHS.

“There will be a band and buffet for them, just to say 'thank you', we are also going to raise money for the NHS and one of our friends who worked at the hospital who died of Covid.

“That night is going to be a celebration for his life, but also to raise money for kidney research, which was his underlying problem."