Lerwick Legion to permit bairns in games room through day

The Royal British Legion in Lerwick.

Bairns will be allowed to play pool and darts from 11am to 10pm every day in the Lerwick Legion, if accompanied by an adult who is a club member.

Councillors approved the venue’s application to change its license, permitting children and young people into the downstairs bar from Monday to Sunday.

Representatives for the Legion said they were having to turn bairns keen to play darts away at present.

Children will also be allowed in to the upstairs function room until 1am every day now – again, if accompanied by an adult club member.

The Lerwick Legion asked for permission to provide bar meals again, too.

The changes were waived through at Monday’s licensing board committee.

However, councillor Moraig Lyall raised concerns about children skipping school to go to the Legion all day.

She said she had some concerns about young people being exposed to drunken behaviour, if allowed to stay until 1am.

And she said that hanging out in snooker halls was a “well-known technique” for skipping school.

But chairman Neil Pearson said he was “sure that won’t be happening”.

He stressed that the Legion was a well-run facility.