WE'RE in the last chance saloon to save pubs and other small businesses in Flintshire.

"It's either follow the rules now or go into lockdown and see a lot of pubs and small businesses around you close", said Andrew Griffiths, landlord the Burntwood in Drury.

It comes as First Minister Mark Drakeford and Prime Minister Boris Johnson tightened measures in a bid to stem the spread of a second wave of coronavirus without resorting to a second full national lockdown.

Mr Griffiths believes the worst thing that could happen for pubs and other independent businesses is another full lockdown.

He hopes people in Flintshire, Wales, and the UK as a whole, take the opportunity now to make sacrifices for the greater good in the long-term.

Andrew added: "They can still get paid if they work at home, but if they go out in large groups then pubs and smaller businesses will get affected more.

"This time if it happens again we think in the pub trade there won't be another grant system in place as they can't keep throwing free money around.

"I'm in a pub myself so I speak to pubs, shops and quite a few people, and a lot of people will be affected if we go into lockdown again."

With Flintshire one of the four North Wales county's facing a local lockdown due to rising virus cases, Mr Griffiths said that would be preferable to a return to the measures introduced nationally in March.

"If there's a local lockdown then the pubs are still open, but if they do another national lockdown pubs will close," he added.

"Inside we are down to eight tables, so come winter time, in a pub this size, its not going to be pleasant. I feel sorry for the smaller pubs who can't even do that."

He added: "People are going to do what they are going to do. They will leave the pub and go back to someone's house or somewhere else, so it's difficult to say what will happen."

Andrew added that he imposed a 10pm curfew on the Burntwood himself, so he thinks it can be done.

"We've found it's gone quite well. We have a large space here, so we have hand sanitizing stations in place, we have spacing, and we've kept the 10pm curfew."

Under the new measures, businesses in Wales will have to close at 10pm, as new measures are introduced in Wales to prevent a fresh coronavirus crisis.

Hospitality businesses will have to provide table service only from Thursday and all off-licences, including supermarkets, will have to stop selling alcohol at 10pm.

Leader readers expressed their views after Mr Drakeford made a live address on Tuesday evening.

Many supported the stricter measures, including the 10pm curfew on selling alcohol.

John Saunders said: We know it's going to be tough, but at least they are making money, yes not a lot. But something is better than nothing."

Others could not see the point of the curfew.

Lesley Williams said: "What's the point closing at 10 rather than one hour later, what's that going to achieve? Feel sorry for pubs when they already struggling."

Burt Bartholemew said: "Makes no odds, Flintshire lockdown imminent."

Mandy Neal said: "I don't drink but this is ridiculous. Should be left at 11pm. People will just go round to friends and family despite the six person rule. Do the government think that the selfish sods who ignored the rules last time will let it bother them this time?

"It's landlords and bar staff that will suffer."