THE long-standing landlady of a popular New Forest pub has banned children altogether after an incident with ‘rowdy’ and ‘badly behaved’ youngsters at the weekend.

Mop Draper, who has been at the helm of The Compass Inn in Winsor for the past 26 years, says she was forced into the decision because of a ‘family with no respect’ who dined in the pub on Sunday.

The dog friendly and 100 per cent gluten free pub hit the headlines last year when the proprietor said children under 12 were no longer welcome, except on Sundays. But now even that invitation has been reversed following a chaotic lunch sitting.

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Mop posted on the pub’s social media account that no further family bookings involving young children would be taken.

She said: “We have yet again experienced a family with no respect for other diners as their children were so badly behaved.

“When we take bookings we have no idea if children are going to behave in an adult environment.

“We had complaints about the rowdy children, had to move people to a quieter area, apologise for them and the staff had to put up with the backlash this family created.

“All bookings we have already taken with children on a Sunday we will honour, but as from today we will not be taking any further bookings for children on a Sunday.

“It’s a shame that I have had to make this decision but we are ultimately an adult only pub but some families disregard this fact that we expect their children to behave which unfortunately is not always the case.”

Speaking yesterday, Mop told the Daily Echo she’d been inundated with calls and emails from as far afield as Australia and America discussing her controversial decision, which seems to have captured the imagination of international broadcasters.

She is due to appear on a number of live TV and radio shows in the coming days.

Mop added: “We’ve had quite a disrupted day today. Emails have been flying in from everywhere! It’s quite bizarre really.

“The family were so rude though and put us all on edge with the row they were making. It was horrible. It upset some of my best customers, people who dine with me three or four times a week. They said they wouldn’t be coming back in on a Sunday as it kept happening and that’s what did it for me really.

“I won’t put up with it any more. It’s just wrong.”