Landlord defends pub’s ‘dog-friendly, child-free’ policy after sign goes viral

A landlord has defended his pub’s child-free policy after a photo of a sign advertising the premises as “dog-friendly, child-free” went viral.

David Worcester, who runs the Lower Red Lion in St Albans, Hertfordshire, added that messages of support have flooded in from the local community and across the world after a social media user tweeted a picture of his pub’s chalkboard with the caption “found my new local” on Sunday.

Mr Worcester said the sign had been outside the Lower Red Lion for years – but has now drawn international attention, garnering 75 million views and more than 3,400 replies, and sparked controversy.

One commenter wrote on X: “Why has it become socially acceptable to literally hate children?”

However, the Guardian reported Mr Worcester said: “The reaction from the local community has been very positive, the reaction from everywhere further afield has been nothing but positive. I’m getting emails from Australia, an email from Bristol. Everything is positive – the only negativity was on the initial Twitter [post].

“There were some pretty wild accusations. But the only people that were accusing me of that were people that have never been to the pub.”

Multiple people criticised the restaurant on social media for not letting children in. Others claimed that the restaurant was discriminating against women, specifically those who are with their children. Many also took issue with the fact that animals were allowed into the restaurant over children.

“Banning children is banning parents. This disproportionately affects women,” another replied. “If you are more okay eating next to an animal than a human baby and family you’re an ugly person.”

“I may be humourless and overthinking this but banning small kids from public spaces is misogynistic because it also limits their mothers,” one added. “What if a new mum wants to meet her friend for a drink or coffee?”

However, other people found amusement in the sign and hit back at the outrage, with some claiming that parents could go to different restaurants with their families.

“It’s really not that deep – if your child is that gasping for a pint surely you can take them to one of the many pubs which do allow families?” a third said.

Someone else asked: “Where is this? If anything we need more child-free venues. I'd love to swing by!”

And a parent chimed in: “I'm a parent and I think there needs to be more places like this.”

One more remarked on the sheer scale of the response, saying: “I’m shocked at the amount of discourse that this one picture has created.”

Writing for The Independent, Flic Everett argued that no pub should have a child-free policy, with parents being the ones that are keeping the venues afloat.

Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, Mr Worcester insisted he had “no objection to children in any other pub, ever, I just don’t want them in mine”, adding that the policy had been in place for over a decade.

He said: “I just want to create an environment where my customers can sit and relax, it only takes one child to kick off and that spoils it for absolutely everybody.

“We’ve got upwards of 40 pubs in St Albans, all of which are child-friendly, most are dog-friendly, I believe I’m the only one in the area that isn’t.”