Local pubgoers have been urged to follow social distancing after a recent Coronavirus outbreak at a pub in Stone.

With good weather forecast for the weekend, Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police are issuing the reminder following some reports of groups close together in beer gardens or in the area outside pubs.

The call comes after drinkers at the Crown and Anchor in Stone tested positive for Coronavirus, with customers queuing to be tested in the following days.

Johnny McMahon, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: "We are all indebted to the many who have sacrificed a great deal to reduce the infection rate during the first phase of the pandemic.

"Covid-19 hasn't gone away and we need to stay alert and follow social distancing and hygiene guidance, or we risk more people catching this potentially fatal virus.

"Pubs and bars are expected to have a whole series of measures in place to keep staff and visitors safe, but it's also up to customers to look around them and do the right thing to keep themselves and their loved ones safe."

People have been allowed back into pubs and bars under strict conditions since 4th July.

Customers should give their name and contact details on arrival for any subsequent tracing purposes and are expected to follow the 'one metre plus' social distancing guidance at the very least.

Most venues are meeting people on arrival, seating them, providing table service to minimise movement within the building and operating one-way systems, as well as providing hand sanitizer, floor markings and controlled access to toilets.

Superintendent Tom Chisholm, Head of Neighbourhood Policing, said: "It is great to see people out and about again. We want to support our communities with the opportunities that the easing of lockdown has given us. Our priority has always been to keep people safe.

"We'll be out and about engaging with the public and encouraging social distancing and for the public to use common sense as we have been throughout the pandemic."

Staffordshire County Council and the eight borough and district authorities are sending a joint letter to all licensees thanking them for their efforts to date and emphasising the importance of preventing the spread of infection.

Current guidance for the public is available here with specific reference to pubs at '3.10', while the regulations for pub and bar owners and managers can be found here.