CARLISLE Railway Station welcomed a swarm of revellers from north of the border through its turnstiles on New Year’s Eve.

As bars along Botchergate and taxi drivers rubbed their hands with glee with the number of partygoers out to welcome in the new year, one bar owner stuck in Glasgow expressed his fears over what it could mean for the hospitality sector in Scotland.

Michael Bergson runs both Thundercat and Buck’s Bar in the Dear Green Place and has shared his anger that businesses are still facing restrictions after nearly two years after the first national lockdown and after the launch of the vaccination programme.

Mr Bergson said: “Your festive period in December is what gets you through January, February, when you’re going into the cold winter months when people aren’t spending money, and we really, really needed that.

“It’s really disheartening to be hit with this right at the worst time possible.”

Mr Bergson also took to social media to share his frustrations, sharing a section of a BBC News report on two Glaswegian girls who travelled to Carlisle to celebrate the new year due to the lack of restrictions in place.

He posted: “Carlisle hospitality venues will continue to do well if Nicola continues to play out her authoritarian fantasy!

“People have stopped listening to her. If young people can’t socialise in Scottish bars and restaurants then they’ll simply mix elsewhere.”

It was reported that pubs across the North of England welcomed an influx of Scottish and Welsh party animals on Friday evening, with up to 100,000 people crossing the border to avoid stiffer Covid restrictions placed by their respective governments.

The number of those entering the city over the festive period will have provided a welcome respite to the landlords of the city.

Amanda Picken of The Sportsman, the oldest pub in the city, recently spoke about the Heads Lane bar seeing a recent busy period.

She said: “For such a small pub we have been very busy with people coming in for something to eat and drink. People are venturing out because I think they are panicking about being forced to stay indoors.”