The British castle that served as the exterior of Hogwarts in the first two “Harry Potter” films has been stupefied by the number of guests being rude to employees over its COVID-19 safety measures and is moving to crack down on the unruly guests.
Alnwick Castle, the second-largest inhabited castle behind Queen Elizabeth’s Windsor Castle, has traditionally attracted tourists from all over the world. But after reopening following its coronavirus-related shutdown, employees at the landmark castle say they’ve endured abusive behavior from guests who refuse to follow mandatory rules, such as wearing masks.
“We are sad to report that we are currently experiencing a high volume of verbally abusive behavior towards our stewarding staff,” said a statement on Almwick’s website.
“We understand visitors may be frustrated, but we cannot excuse abusive behaviour towards staff or other visitors.”
As a precaution, and to help stem the spread of COVID-19, certain areas of the castle have been closed and visitors must book their trip online before showing up. In addition to this new policy, masks must be worn at all times and visitors must practice social distancing.
Visitors who are heard being rude to staff or visitors will be asked to leave the castle grounds, management said.
“Abuse is not acceptable. If any visitors engage in this type of behavior, our Security team may ask you to leave the grounds.”
