Twickenham pubs asked to call time early during Rugby World Cup

Twickenham pubs may be asked to close early to prevent fans from disturbing local residents during the Rugby World Cup.

Operators who would have been counting on a roaring trade might be disappointed after the Metropolitan Police requested that pubs didn't admit customers after 10pm on Saturday, when England played France in a World Cup warm-up match.

The move is expected to be a trial run for the tournament, which begins on 18 September with England v Fiji at Twickenham.

Pubs were taken by surprise on Saturday when the announcement was made during the match, The Times reported, seemingly without an agreement with operators.

Fuller's managing director Jonathon Swaine said: "Pub operators never agreed to that or suggested that. We were planning to open our doors to everyone.

"It seems quite Orwellian to say you will not go to the pub for a drink. We have spent time and money preparing all our pubs. It is not happening in Cardiff or other cities that are hosting World Cup matches. Why should it happen in Twickenham?"

A spokesman for the Met said: "As part of the policing operation for the England v France rugby union international at Twickenham on Saturday 15 August, a request was made to licensees in the local area not to admit any customers after 22:00hrs.

"This was to try and ensure the impact on local residents and the community was kept to a minimum following the match, which kicked off at the later time of 20:00hrs."

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