By Ben Kerrigan-
The mayor of Greater Manchester has called for an urgent review of 10pm closure times for pubs and restaurants.
Andy Burnham said it meant people were gathering in homes and supermarkets that were “packed out to the rafters” once the bars closed.
“My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He said: “It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or more probably to gather in the home.”
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Under the new restrictions, all pubs, bars and restaurants in England are to provide table service only and must shut by 10pm.
The Mayor claims the restrictions are counterproductive and leading to more gatherings after the deadline for club closures.
Mr Burnham said people gathering after closures was “the opposite of what local restrictions here are trying to do”.
“I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country,” he added.
Mr. Burnham suggested one option could be to impose a 9pm cut-off on alcohol sales in shops to prevent the rush to off-licences after the pubs close.
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Mr Burnham has also called for more financial support for areas under greater restrictions and tougher powers for local areas to close businesses not observing the rules.
Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson has also spoken out about the 10pm closures, saying they are “making things more dangerous” after crowds gathered in the city as the pubs turned out drinkers on Saturday night.
Health minister Helen Whately said the government was keeping an “open mind” about the new regulations.
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