Children should be banned from pubs

Before I begin, let me say this: I like children. To my amazement, I even have two of my own. But do I think they should be allowed in pubs? Absolutely not. Increasingly, this is the view taken by London’s publicans, some of whom have decided to introduce a ban on children in pubs after 7 p.m. Egil Johansen, owner of the Kenton pub in Hackney – which operates a 5 p.m. curfew on children – was quoted yesterday lambasting ‘entitled parents’ who ‘come in, sit down, drink and don’t care what their children are doing’. Other London pubs are reported to be considering banning children altogether. The William the Fourth pub in Leyton will now operate a 7 p.m. curfew for children, along with the Nags Head in Walthamstow. Some establishments, such as the Alma in Crystal Palace, have banned children