By Press Association 2021
Customers enjoy a game of pool and a hug at the The Oak Inn in Coventry (Jacob King/PA)
Revellers in England were quick to embrace their newly-restored freedoms when some pubs opened at midnight, as the latest easing of restrictions came into force.
Up until midnight, customers had to rely on the weather to partake in drinking in establishments with beer gardens or street terraces.
As Sunday turned to Monday, customers could once again savour some of the indoor treats that had been denied to them, such as perusing a jukebox screen for a favourite track or sinking a few balls on the pool table.
Drinkers up and down the UK got the party started in pubs and bars at a few minutes past midnight as Britain took a big step towards normality with people being allowed to have a drink inside.
In pictures: punters return to the pub as lockdown restrictions ease at midnight. (PA) As England moved into stage three of Boris Johnson s roadmap out of lockdown, people were quick to embrace their newly-found freedoms, starting with the pub. Up until midnight, customers reamined in beer gardens or street terraces but as Sunday turned into Monday, they were welcomed back inside by staff to enjoy relaxed lockdown rules. Boris Johnson confirmed on Friday that the roadmap will go ahead as planned today despite concerns over the Indian variant which has thrown a complete end to restrictions on June 21 into doubt.