Pubs, bars and restaurants could be back open by the summer, says draft blueprint

Pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK could re-open by the end of the summer, according to a draft 50-page plan to take the country out of lockdown.

Customers would be expected to follow strict social distancing rules as part of a reported re-opening targeting the end of August or early September.

Britain's route out of coronavirus lockdown is a five-stage plan staggered over the next six months.

Boris Johnson  will set out his “roadmap” on Sunday. He said the first steps will happen the next day “if we possibly can”.

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Pubs and restaurants could be re-opened by August (Getty Images)

The Mirror understands a draft 50-page plan has been drawn up to get the country back to normal.

The Government's blueprint aims to to relax the lockdown in staggered steps between now and October.

However, officials fear a second wave of  coronavirus  or a seasonal flu outbreak this autumn could blow their plans off course.

The shut-down of non-essential businesses, which included places where people gathered such pubs, leisure centres, restaurants and venues, was considered key to stemming the spread of the virus.

Non-essential businesses were closed in March to help slow the spread of the virus (Getty Images)

Professor Paul Hunter, part of a study into social distancing in 30 European countries conducted by University of East Anglia, keeping such businesses closed initially "would have the most impact".

"However, we also know that while outbreaks of food poisoning are frequently linked with restaurants, outbreaks of other respiratory infections generally in the hospitality sector are fairly rare."

Tables and chairs are seen stacked through the window of a closed pub in London (Getty)

While police said there has been an expected reduction in certain types of violence, including domestic abuse thanks to the closure of the night-time economy.

Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe, the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC's) lead for domestic abuse, said: "There's a general hypothesis that due to the closure of pubs and clubs and - we do pick up an amount of violence and domestic abuse associated with the night-time economy - as those things are currently shut down we have seen, as you would expect, a reduction in this area."

Pub chain Wetherspoon's was slammed by Cabinet Minister Robert Buckland last week after it revealed plans to reopen pubs "in and around June".

JD Wetherspoon revealed its bosses had started working on a reopening structure that could see pubs and hotels back in business at that time.

However, Wetherspoon's spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Mirror the pub chain was "guessing" the date and it "may prove to be entirely incorrect".

Mr Buckland warned firms to "follow the collective view of government" - and said it would be a "mistake" to "go off on a tangent".

Asked directly about the Wetherspoon announcement, Mr Buckland said it "just creates confusion for the public" when firms "do their own thing".

Pubs are banned by law from reopening until the government says it's ready.

That means Wetherspoon's couldn't reopen without government permission anyway, even if it wanted to. And the firm has said it will follow government guidance.