Piers Morgan points out huge flaw in 10pm pub closing – saying people will just drink faster instead

PIERS Morgan has hit out at government plans to close pubs at 10pm - saying there is a massive flaw in the proposal.

The 55-year-old Good Morning Britain star, whose step-father was a publican, insisted Brits will just knock back pints faster.

The Sun revealed today that Boris Johnson is to order pubs to close at 10pm in a bid to battle coronavirus after the Covid alert level rose to four.

The Prime Minister will slap a curfew on the hospitality industry and enforce patrols to make sure venues are obeying the "rule of six".

But Piers openly mocked the plans on social media, saying the virus has no regard for opening hours.

He tweeted: "Hearing @BorisJohnson is going to order pubs to close at 10pm from tomorrow.

"What possible difference is that going to make? Does he think Covid respects opening hours?"

When it was suggested the move could reduce drunkenness, Piers replied: "Speaking as someone who grew up in a pub, I imagine this will just make people drink more, faster."

The new rules around pubs and restaurants closing early are expected to start on Thursday, but it is not clear how long they will last for.

But Dr Bharat Pankhania, an epidemiologist from the University of Exeter, also slammed the 10pm curfew as ineffective.

Asked if he believed the move would help reduce transmission, he told the BBC last night: "No, not at all.

"Come on, the virus doesn't understand the clock so if you're going to close at 10pm, what about at 9pm, what about 8pm?

"We know human behaviours, we know our country's pub behaviour. At 8.30pm, 9pm people will be buying extra drinks and alcohol, unfortunately allows you to drop your guard."

The move came as the nation's four chief scientists lifted the UK's covid threat level up from three to four.

It means transmission of the virus is high, or rising "exponentially", and more social distancing measures are likely to come in.

Piers has long been a vocal critic of the government - and people seeking to play down the danger of coroanvirus.

Tweeting tonight, he wrote: "The more Covid cases & hospitalisations rise, the more furious Covidiots become in insisting there is ‘NOTHING TO SEE HERE!’

"Just staggering. This is self-evidently a very serious moment in the pandemic, but their crazed desire to be proven right overrides reality."