East Lothian police 'remind' public of alcohol restrictions in these areas

The county has 13 different by-laws covering alcohol consumption in the different towns and villages

East Lothian police have ‘reminded’ people of alcohol restrictions across the county as preparations are made for phase two of lockdown easing.

The bylaws, which were introduced in 2008, lay out the specific times and places where country residents are allowed to consume alcohol and varies from town to town.

The police released a statement saying: “As we approach summer and the hope of warmer weather, coupled with the possible ease in movement restrictions due to Covid 19, we would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public that there are alcohol byelaws in place in a variety of our towns and villages in East Lothian.

East Lothian police 'remind' public of alcohol restrictions in these areas

“These bylaws restrict locations, times and days, as to when and where people can consume alcohol legally.

“Please follow the attached link to view our current county byelaws.

“If you are caught consuming alcohol in a public place where there is a byelaw in force, you could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Ticket.

Towns including Haddington, Gullane and Prestonpans have a permanent ban on drinking alcohol in public places, where other’s make exceptions for gala days and Hogmanay celebrations.

In North Berwick, you can only drink in public between 6am and 6pm.

Last year saw Police Scotland try to introduce a county wide drinking ban that would over rule the bylaws which was not fully supported by the Scottish Government who requested justification for the change.

For a full list of East Lothian bylaws, click here.

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