Yorkshire Dales pub 'first in UK to voluntarily close' over coronavirus spread

The New Inn at Appletreewick claims it is the first pub in the UK to close voluntarily, saying it is putting "safety before profit".

The decision to close was made on Monday morning, owner Graham Marshall told The Yorkshire Post.

Mr Marshall said: "We have closed with immediate effect. We are treating the safety of visitors and local residents as more important than profit.

"I think at some point there is going to be a compulsory closures for all pubs. We are going to be losing a lot of money with this decision, but not everything is about profit. Some things are more important."

The New Inn was also the first pub in the UK to introduce a smoking ban in 1971, 36 years before it became law.

Mr Marshall added: "We are taking quite a risk. I have seen people aren't taking cash and only card, but we have decided to go the absolute whole hog."

It was announced at the weekend that pubs in the Republic of Ireland would close immediately, days before St Patrick's Day on Tuesday, to combat spread of the virus.