Pubs with beer gardens should be amongst the first to re-open after lockdown.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), establishments with beer gardens or outside terraces are best placed to meet the social distancing guidelines required for re-opening from July 4, enabling people to enjoy their local pub’s beer garden in the summer sun.

The news comes as the BBPA estimate pubs will lose millions of pounds over the bank holiday weekend as a direct result of the lockdown, as the FA Cup final, teamed with the predicted good weather, would've boosted beer sales by more than two million pints.

Chief executive of the BBPA, Emma McClarkin, said: "We want to explore all opportunities for our nations pubs to reopen safely and viably as soon as is possible.

"The 27,000 pubs in the UK with beer gardens will be amongst the best placed to re-open under social distancing conditions and so should be amongst the first to reopen."

However, the BBPA stated more clarity is needed on the conditions pubs will need to re-open under in July and the Government must recognise that many pubs may not be able to meet the safety criteria and so be forced to stay closed beyond that date.

There has also been speculation that Government is considering introducing more flexibility for pubs, restaurants and bars to use other outside space including pavements and could also be given permission to sell food and drink from street stalls outside their premises in the coming weeks.

The BBPA has proposed using guidance from the World Health Organisation from July, which suggests using one metre for social distancing as opposed to two metres.

This, it says, would help pubs to re-open viably – by significantly increasing the number of pubs that could re-open by 120 percent.

This could mean East Lancashire favourites such as the Butlers Arms in Pleasington, the Golden Cup in Darwen and Clitheroe's Rose and Crown, could well begin serving pints once more.