RESIDENTS planning a night out in the town centre this weekend are being reminded there will be a reduced offer – with venues expected to close earlier than usual.

Further relaxation of the Government’s lockdown restrictions, from July 4, has seen the reopening of some pubs, bars and restaurants.

Every food and drink business will have carried out a risk assessment before opening to ensure they can open in a Covid-19 secure way for the benefit of their staff and customers.

This means that some venues, such as nightclubs, are not be able to open at this time, while others will be operating in a new way.

It is likely that premises will be operating at reduced capacity to maintain appropriate social distancing, with some only taking advance bookings and others operating queuing systems.

In addition, some venues are choosing to close early. The council says this is expected to be the case in Warrington town centre for the coming weeks, with premises closing by 1am, so people are advised not to head into the town centre after this time.

Warrington Business Improvement District and the council are continuing to work with hospitality businesses across the town to support them in opening safely.

They will keep the situation under review and post further updates on the offer when available.

In the meantime, people are asked to check premises’ websites and social media in advance before setting off and support the reopening of the hospitality sector by enjoying a drink or a meal in a responsible and safe way.