South Shields town centre bar Tinker Smiths forced to close just hours before England vs Denmark Euro 2020 semi-final after staff go into covid isolation

A South Shields town centre bar has been forced to close just hours before England’s Euro 2020 semi-final after staff were forced to isolate due to Covid.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Football fans with a table booking for tonight’s match at Tinker Smiths in Stanhope Street will be left disappointed after the bar announced earlier today that it has had to close.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The bar is expected to remain closed until Saturday, July 10, giving hope to those who may have tables booked for the Euro 2020 final on Sunday in anticipation of England beating Denmark.

Tinker Smiths in South Shields has been forced to close following a Covid alert.Tinker Smiths in South Shields has been forced to close following a Covid alert.
Tinker Smiths in South Shields has been forced to close following a Covid alert.

A statement on the Tinker Smiths Facebook page said: “Due to a number of staff going into isolation we have unfortunately been forced to close our doors until Saturday, July 10.

“We are very sorry for those who have booked a table for tonight’s football, we simply don’t have the staff available to open up.”

The bar went on to post a second apology to customers who have been left disappointed by the short notice and promised to ‘come back fighting' this weekend.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It said: “We are so sorry about tonight because we know how important it is for so many people, however we will come back fighting this weekend!”

Tinker Smiths’ closure comes just a week after Jade Thirlwall’s Arbeia bar, on Ocean Road, had to close its doors last weekend due to staff being contacted by the NHS Test and Trace system.

Meanwhile Covid cases are continuing to rise in South Tyneside, with data compiled by the Press Association news agency showing that the borough has the highest Covid-19 case rate in England.

In the seven days leading up to July 2, the case rate in South Tyneside stands at 765.7 per 100,000 people, with 1,156 positive cases recorded.

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Simply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.