THE owners of a Little Lever pub have said they will not be reopening to customers tomorrow following a risk assessment.

Last month Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed pubs could reopen on July 4 with ‘one-metre plus’ distancing measures in place.

A post on The New Inn’s Facebook page said: “The safety of our staff and customers is priority and having completed a risk assessment, at this moment in time we do not believe it is safe to reopen. This will be reviewed on a weekly basis.”

A recent survey in trade paper The Morning Advertiser revealed around half of all pubs in the UK were not expecting to open on what has been called ‘Super Saturday’ in some sections of the media.

Many landlords have raised fears they cannot operate safely this weekend, as drinkers flood back for their first draught pint since lockdown measures were introduced in March.

New rules include screens separating tables, bar staff delivering drink orders to customers and orders being made via apps.

The New Inn’s management team added: “There has been lots going on while we’ve been closed. We have a new floor, we have fully redecorated throughout, all upholstery has been cleaned, new beer lines installed, hand sanitiser dispensers installed around the pub, screens have been put up around the bar.

“The place looks fantastic.”