A pub in St Albans has sparked a fierce debate online over its policy of not allowing children on the premises, but welcoming dogs and their owners.
The Lower Red Lion pub is proud to say it is dog-friendly and child-free on a blackboard sign outside the premises.
After an X user named Kyle posted a photo of himself on the social media platform crouching next to the sign and joking that it was his “new local,” other be a very divisive situation. subject.
While some people believed the pub was perfectly reasonable in implementing the policy because they preferred to enjoy their pints only in the company of adults, others said it risked excluding parents and tapped into a trend of child-free spaces that was described as ‘unpleasant’.
When contacted by FEMAIL, Lower Red Lion declined to comment.
A pub in St Albans sparked a debate about X after a customer called Kyle posted a photo of its sign explaining its policy of not allowing children and dogs.
The Lower Red Lion, which was first established in the 17th century, prides itself on its history on its website as a watering hole located on a major coach route.
Although the website doesn’t appear to mention the pub’s “no children” policy, its Instagram account shows pampered dogs sleeping inside the establishment.
At Christmas 2022, the pub hosted a ‘Santa Paws’ event in aid of a homeless charity, encouraging punters to bring their dogs to sit on Santa Paws’ lap and receive a bag of goodies. , in a canine imagination of Santa. Grotto activity that many parents take their children to during the month of December.
After X user Kyle posted the pub sign on the social media platform, people were quick to share their opinions on the policy.
The Lower Red Lion, founded in the 17th century, hosts dog-friendly events on its premises.
People were bitterly divided over the pub policy, with some people arguing that they think it is fair to operate child-free spaces, while others vehemently disagreed.
Fellow pub-goers who thought it was a fair policy praised The Lower Red Lion for banning children from its premises.
One person wrote: “There needs to be more safe havens like this.”
Another said: ‘Not everything should be for children and/or families.
“Sometimes adults want to just be with adults, it’s not that deep.”
Another X user who had previously had a bad experience with children in a public space argued that “screaming children” are “the nightmare of my life.”
He said: ‘I went to a WINE TASTING recently and someone brought their toddler, who was allowed to run around screaming, hitting things, causing a general disorder. “There should be child-free areas.”
Another person thought the pub’s policy should be replicated elsewhere and suggested: “Now let’s apply this to planes please.”
However, many disagreed with The Lower Red Lion’s policy and made their feelings on the issue known, with many arguing that they would rather be around children than dogs in a public space.
“I think having dogs in every public place imaginable is not good at all,” one person argued.
Another accused people who supported the policy of being “afraid” of children, while others argued that everyone was once a child and that people should be “nice” to them.
An X user asked: “Why has it become socially acceptable to literally hate children?”
Another argued: “Not having children is obviously fine, but this hatred towards children is something I actually find extremely disgusting.”
Under UK licensing laws, pubs can place restrictions on children entering their premises.
An establishment’s premises license may include restrictions on the times children are allowed, the areas of the pub they can enter and the presence of children during activities.
Some licenses also include conditions stating that children will not be allowed at all, but licensees usually apply their own policy regarding children within their premises.