Roll out the barrels? Black Country and Staffordshire pubs weigh up reopening decision

While some support the idea other pub bosses in the region have said as long as the two-metre distancing rule is still in place opening would not be viable.

It comes after a group of ministers reportedly calling themselves the, Save Summer Six, lobbied for an earlier opening of beer gardens and open spaces with June 22 mooted as a possible date.

However for now the official government line remains July 4 for any reopening of the hospitality industry in outdoor spaces.

Bobby Basran, owner of New Merridale in Wolverhampton, said he will be opening his beer garden to customers again when he is allowed.

But other pub bosses have said while the two-metre distancing rule is still in place opening would not be viable.

Mr Basran said: "We would be considering reopening, realistically there are customers out there who do want a drink.

"We've got to make sure we do it in the safest way.

"If the regulations say we can, we would 100 per cent be reopening.

"We've got customers and especially now if the weather stays the way it is, we've got to start.

"We're lucky that we've got a large beer garden and we've had landscapers in to make sure the tables are distanced."

However Karl Gardner, director of the Bell & Bear Inn in Cradley Heath, said it would be "50/50" whether he would reopen.

"It all depends on what the breweries want to do," he added. "We'd have to get the beer in, and some people will be uncertain about coming to pubs.

"We've lost so much trade because of what's going on, it's been a nightmare.

"We have taken the time to refurbish the pub."

One landlady said she does not think she will be able to reopen as the beer garden is too small.

Landlady of Lychgate Tavern in Wolverhampton, Hayley Hall, said: "It depends if everyone still has to keep a two-metre distance.

"It would not be viable from a business perspective, one metre would still be a challenge.

"Then we've got the question of do we provide toilet facilities as they would need to come through the pub.

"It all just seems to be moving rather quickly.

"It would be a decision made by the brewery anyway but they do take our opinions into account because we know our local trade.

"We have a lot of the older generation that come in and it's whether they would feel comfortable coming in."

And Alison Heath, licensee of The Star in Penkridge, said they could only fit 25 per cent of their customers in if the two-metre rule is still in place.

She said: "It's just not viable for us with the two-metre rule really.

"It might be ok for the big Wetherspoons that have got huge areas to work with."

Rob Carey, from The Jolly Crispin in Upper Gornal, said it was a case of waiting.

"There's a lot of problems about getting stale beer out of the cellars," he said.

"There's no way I would put myself or my customers at risk, I want it to be safe to reopen.

"I couldn't afford to part reopen."