GREATER Manchester's Chief Constable Ian Hopkins has named and shamed a pub in Mossley for flouting the lockdown forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Hopkins slammed the Billy Goat Inn in Mossley, Tameside, alongside The Shakespeare in the Farnworth area of Bolton.

According to GMP, they are among many pubs and shops in the city region which have reported to the police for failing to close in spite of the government’s strict coronavirus restrictions.

Police and licensing officials will now be visiting any businesses thought to still be flouting the rules and ordering them to close.

Speaking on Mike Sweeney's BBC Radio Manchester the chief constable said: "Businesses are really tricky for us at the moment. I have got some examples and I am going to name and shame some now, the Shakespeare Hotel in Glynne Street in Bolton. We are getting reports that it's letting members of the public in through the back door and it's just basically flouting the licensing laws.

"We will be dealing with them and they will have their licence revoked. I've got numerous examples of of licensed premises that are continuing to do that and we will treat this really seriously and deal with them.

"There's another one, the Billy Goat Inn in (Mossley) Tameside. Stop it! You are putting people's lives at risk as well as being very very selfish to the wider community. We are looking very closely at that."

Mr Hopkins said that while most people were abiding by the lockdown he said some of his officers were having to deal with people who were having barbecues in their local park. "That's not acceptable," he said.

"People have got to take this seriously. This is not a holiday. This is about saving lives," said Mr Hopkins.

Some rogue drivers, because the roads were largely empty, were driving at "ludicrous" speeds.