PUB-GOERS have only just realised a bizarre rule that could see them hauled out and slapped with a £200 fine.
Those regularly visiting pubs across the UK might expect to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages.
But little do they know they could be left with a stonking fine – for drinking too much.
According to the UK’s 1872 Licensing Act, it is illegal to be drunk in a boozer.
It may seem very confusing that it’s illegal to be drunk in the place where so many go to do exactly that.
However, the technicality here is that it’s actually illegal to be drunk anywhere, thereby including the pub.
The rule is so outdated that it is very rare it is enforced, but being too drunk in a public house could well leave you out of pocket.
The 150-year-old law means if you drink too much alcohol being sold in a pub, you are breaking the law and could be hit with a £200 fine.
The law was meant to encourage moderate drinking, but it’s safe to say in terms of enforcement these days, you’re only really in trouble for “drunk and disorderly” behaviour.
Section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872 states: “Every person found drunk…on any licensed premises, shall be liable to a penalty”.
Meanwhile, it is also an offence to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or disorderly.
Under the Licensing Act 2003, whoever sells alcohol to somebody who is drunk could be hit with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £90 by the Police.
If it ends up going to court, this fine can be increased up to £1,000.
It comes after researchers revealed where to find the cheapest pints in Britain and it is not where you’d expect.
The most affordable pints are no longer found up north but rather down south, according to the data.
Unsurprisingly though, the most expensive drinks can be found in London, with pints costing around £6.50.
Meanwhile, a study revealed where Brits can find the cheapest pints before jetting off on holiday.
And a longtime lorry driver has made his dreams come true after he quit to buy a quaint little pub to pull cheap pints for people.
It can be illegal to drink in public if it is seen that the person who is drunk is causing a disturbance, or is unable to control himself.
This can include the offense of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
Some councils may put restrictions on consumption of alcohol in certain areas, such as places where there is a history of anti-social behaviour. failure to comply could lead to a fine.
It is illegal to consume alcohol on many forms of transport in the UK. This includes TFL (Transport for London) services including; buses, trams, DLR and the London Underground.
By Owen Leonard
PUNTERS can pay just £3.19 for pints at the cheapest Spoons pub in the land, bucking the trend of beer-flation.
Office for National Statistics data shows the price of a pint has skyrocketed 28 per cent across the nation since 2019, or an average hike of £1.03 per beer.
But coming to the rescue are a series of Spoons boozers still selling pints for pennies.
At the top of the apex is The Church House in Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire, where pints set set punters back only £3.19.
It was once a 19th-century house declared sacred by the Archbishop of York.
At those pint prices, today’s beer drinkers surely agree.