Pub landlords in Kent are threatening to ban children after complaints about 'feral' youngsters running amok in beer gardens while parents look the other way. The Market Inn in Faversham may become a strictly over-12s venue following incidents of children tearing up plants, throwing stones and barging into customers.
Landlord Tim Stowell posted on Facebook: 'Sorry to moan, however, it is becoming more and more frequent that parents are not watching or looking after their children while in the pub.' He added: 'If parents are not willing to look after their children, we will make it a 12-and-over pub at all times. It’s not down to our team to supervise your children.'
Similarly, The Anchor pub in Faversham appealed for better parental control. Landlord Mark Revell said: 'We can’t believe we’re having to write this so early in the year. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few incidents where children have been allowed to pick, snap, and pull out plants in our garden.' This included leaves pulled from a Japanese acer planted in memory of his partner's father.
Manager Drew Cassell backed the owners' message, stating: 'They have raised concerns because it’s just not acceptable for parents to allow their children to run around, out of control, causing damage. We spend a lot of time and money on the garden to make it nice for customers and all we are asking is for a little bit of respect.'
Both social media posts sparked dozens of comments, with most supporting a ban. One commenter wrote: 'Parenting has deteriorated greatly over the past few years. Quite often glued to their mobiles while their kids run riot.' Another said: 'Nothing worse than kids running around and being feral when you’re trying to have a nice drink.' However, some felt the posts were unwelcoming.
This follows a trend of pubs imposing age restrictions. In 2024, the Wheel Inn at Westwell near Ashford banned under-14s. In February, former BBC newsreader Jan Leeming sparked debate after complaining about a screaming child ruining her birthday lunch at The Pig at Bridge, suggesting parents should hire a babysitter if they can afford the restaurant's prices.
