Coronavirus: This Yorkshire tourist hotspot pub says it's the first in the UK to close voluntarily

A pub in a Yorkshire tourist hotspot has closed with immediate effect to prevent further spread of coronavirus.
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The New Inn at Appletreewick, in the Yorkshire Dales, claims it is the first pub in the UK to close voluntarily, saying it is putting "safety before profit".

The decision to close was made on Monday morning, said owner Graham Marshall.

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Mr Marshall said: "We have closed with immediate effect. We are treating the safety of visitors and local residents as more important than profit.

The New Inn at AppletreewickThe New Inn at Appletreewick
The New Inn at Appletreewick

"I think at some point there is going to be a compulsory closures for all pubs. We are going to be losing a lot of money with this decision, but not everything is about profit. Some things are more important."

The New Inn was also the first pub in the UK to introduce a smoking ban in 1971, 36 years before it became law.

Mr Marshall added: "We are taking quite a risk. I have seen people aren't taking cash and only card, but we have decided to go the absolute whole hog."