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Tiffany Pearson-Gills took over the Junction pub in September Image caption: Tiffany Pearson-Gills took over the Junction pub in September

The landlords of two pubs in an English village that sits on a county border say it makes no sense that only one of them can open under coronavirus measures coming into force next week.

Groombridge has two pubs, but the Crown Inn is in Kent's tier three and the Junction is in East Sussex's tier two.

In tier three, pubs must close apart from offering takeaway or delivery services, but in tier two, they can open as long as they serve substantial meals.

Under next week's rules, residents on either side of Groombridge, home to about 1,600 people, should not cross over the county border at a bridge over the River Grom - meaning Kent villagers cannot enjoy the reopening of the East Sussex pub.

Steve Harmes, at the Crown, says not being able to open is "very frustrating".

"We were not in such a bad position before, but now, being put in this position, it's really hard for us to move forward."

He said even if the tiers were reviewed in December, the pub would not be able to prepare and take advantage of the busy Christmas period.

A seven-minute walk away - or 0.4 miles - at the Junction pub, landlady Tiffany Pearson-Gills calls the new rules "perplexing".

The Crown Inn is in Kent, so will go into tier three next week Image caption: The Crown Inn is in Kent, so will go into tier three next week

"For such a small village... it just doesn't make any sense at all," she said.

She took over the Junction in September and spent several weeks renovating it but had to put off an opening on 5 November.

She said the pub had been fortunate, adding: "It's great for us, but it doesn't make sense that the Crown up the road cannot [open]. It's just so close, it's a really, really difficult one."