A Bolton bar owner who was fined £1,000 for Covid breaches has been shocked by Boris Johnson’s much lower fine for attending Downing Street parties.

Polepole Kajabika, until recently owner of the Depost Bar on Bradshawgate,  ultimately lost his licence after being accused of allowing customers to drink at the bar without face masks and for allowing more than six people per table last Autumn in breach of Covid restrictions.

Mr Kajabika disputes these claims and says he was shocked when he read about £50 fines being handed out to Downing Street officials who had breached similar restrictions by attending parties in June 2020.

He said: “I’m really surprised and really shocked, how can Number 10 Downing Street be fined only £50 after breaching Covid-19 restrictions?”

“I was fined £1,000 after the police said that they observed several of my customers drinking at the bar without face masks.

“It has caused Bolton Council to revoke my premises license in January 2022.”

He added: “This is really unlawful, how can these politicians put these laws in place while their partying breached the same law?”

The Bolton News:

The Depost Bar on Bradshawgate, Bolton

Officials in Downing Street first began to receive emails letting them know about the £50 fines at the start of April.

Mr Johnson himself has now received a £100 fixed penalty notice for his part in the Downing Street events, but he may yet receive further fines as police continue to investigate.

In Bolton, Mr Kajabika believes this is deeply unfair compared to how people like him have been punished and says he intends to continue fighting his case.

The Bolton News:

Boris Johnson on a visit to The Bolton News office earlier this year

But Bolton Council’s licencing committee felt that in the interests of public safety, the Depost Bar’s licence had to be revoked.

The statement reads: "The sub-committee was satisfied that revocation of the licence was an appropriate and proportionate action for the promotion of the crime and disorder, public safety and the prevention of public nuisance licensing objectives and there were no lesser steps that could be taken to ameliorate their concerns."