A long serving pub owner is sceptical on proposed measures that pub goers may be asked to provide a vaccine passport.

Boris Johnson hinted that the enforcement of punters having a vaccination passport or certificate before entering a pub could be up to “individual publicans” but said the idea should “not be alien”.

However after dropping the bombshell mention of the proposed rule, Mr Johnson clarified later that such rules – if it comes into action – would only apply after every adult has been offered a vaccination jab.

Chris Pyrke, the owner of The Rifle Volunteer in Oxhey Village, says that if individual pub owners are given the choice, then he will follow what the majority of his customers want.

While the owner is in support of vaccinations and has had a vaccination himself, he acknowledged that denying people the right to visit could come off as discriminatory.

He said: “Everyone has their right to an opinion, and if that is their opinion then they are unlikely to have a vaccine are they?”

But the owner specified a decision would only be made after having in depth discussions with his customers and staff to understand the general consensus and safety concerns.

He said: “The way I would do anything like that is discuss it with my staff and discuss it with my customers. I’ve never been someone to say we’re doing this now whether you like it or not – I don’t think in a situation we’re in it’s the right thing to do.

“No matter which way it sways, as a business you have to go with a majority of customers. If the majority of my customers say they won’t come in because certain people don’t have their vaccine passport that’s the way it is then.”

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The pub owner added that either way, pubs could potentially lose clients. If a vaccine passport is enforced, then anti-vaxxers could decide to not go – but likewise if it is not enforced, then a lot of people could feel uneasy and unsafe and will not visit a pub.

“It probably is discriminatory, trying to take that into a political spectrum, there’ll be so much argument and counter argument for it,” he hypothesised.

Regardless, it appears Mr Pyrke will stand with what the community wishes.

He did however question why pubs in particular was mentioned, and whether this will be a common rule in places other than hospitality.

The pub will reopen with outdoor seating only on April 12 and is currently accepting bookings.

A poll from Secro Institute found that 60 per cent of people supported Covid passports in the hospitality sector, whereas 18 per cent were opposed to the idea.

But in a post shared out on Facebook, the Watford Observer mainly saw opposition from readers of Covid passports in pubs.

One reader, Lindsey Smith, said: “Whether you have the vaccine or not, you can still carry Covid so it doesn't make sense, it’s up to individuals where and what they want to do, this will not help in any way and causes more problems for the already struggling pubs.”

Another reader, Wayne Allen, wrote: “Covid will travel on anyone, vaccinated or not, so why make passports a thing? What actual difference will it make? The unvaccinated will come across covid sooner or later anyway.”