A SOUTHAMPTON nightclub owner asked his mum to help hand out lateral flow tests to clubbers who did not have Covid passports.

The owner of Cafe Parfait, Rich Gilbert, asked his mother, Karen, to help test people at the door of the club.

The new rule amendments, which came into force on Wednesday, 15 December, require people to provide proof of having been double-jabbed or having a recent negative lateral flow test to enter nightclubs in England.

Rich also co-owns Switch nightclub, which he told the Daily Echo: "When the new rules came in, I asked my mum for help, and she had some spare time and didn't mind helping. 

"People respectfully agreed to her request since she is elderly; otherwise we would have had to deal with some angry customers who refused to do the test or show us proof that they had been doubly jabbed.

"If she hadn't helped out, I think we would have definitely lost some of our customers."

Despite the cold, Karen, 64, spent nights outside her son's clubs teaching and assisting clubbers with the Covid-19 test.

The new standard, however, has not been without its obstacles; a shortage of lateral flow and PCR testing has been seen all across the country.

Rich, 36, raised concerns about the lack of tests. He said: "A friend of mine who runs another business was able to lend me some spare tests, fortunately. 

"We have noticed a massive drop in the numbers of our customers visiting our venues, and while December is generally a good month for us, this year has been really challenging. The new rules have impacted me 100 per cent, both emotionally and financially."

While Switch and Cafe Parfait have seen a large number of cancellations for Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, the club owners are hoping that 2022 will bring luck and normalcy.