PUB chain Brains will not be opening any of its pubs on July 13, when pubs are expected to reopen in Wales.

On Thursday, International Relations Minister Eluned Morgan signalled the first phase of a planned reopening for bars, restaurants, and cafes with outdoor spaces, expected to take place on July 13.

A Brains spokesman said: “During lockdown we have been working incredibly hard to be ready to reopen our pubs indoors and outdoors safely for the benefit of our team members and customers.

“We are waiting to be given a date and guidelines for the full reopening of pubs from the Welsh Government, which we hope will be as soon as possible.

“We want our customers to be able to use all of the facilities in our pubs come rain or shine and to receive a warm welcome back in safe surroundings. We will not be able to do that by opening outdoors only from July 13, and so we will not open any of our managed pub gardens on that date.

“We really look forward to welcoming back our customers when we are given the green light to open fully.

“Thank you for your patience and loyalty.”

A final Welsh Government decision about outdoor re-opening will be made at the next review of the coronavirus regulations on Thursday, July 9, and will depend on whether rates of coronavirus are continuing to fall.