Nightclubs have a serious image problem – and it’s not one they seem to have grasped. This is an issue that Ears To The House first reported all the way back in July 2021, just before England’s nightclubs were due to reopen for the first time in well over a year.

Now, nightclubs contribute much to the night-time economy – it’s a sector providing a lot of employment. This isn’t just in nightclubs themselves – it’s in the takeaways feeding hungry clubbers before calling it a night, it’s the taxi drivers helping them get home safely and so on. But let’s be perfectly honest – there are many who dislike nightclubs intensely.

Two years ago, an Ipsos MORI poll for The Economist found that 46% of respondents were happy to see nightclubs in England staying shut for an extra month after the loosening of restrictions – but a worrying 26% were comfortable with nightclubs never reopening at all.

And by the looks of it, negative attitudes to nightlife haven’t changed in Britain over the past two years. Right now, Covid-19 cases are on the rise across the UK – and although there’s absolutely no talk or any political appetite for restrictions to slow the virus down, that hasn’t stopped More in Common from asking questions on the subject.

As The Independent newspaper reported, 31% of respondents between 18 and 24 said they favoured nightclubs being closed during this time. That rate increased even further to 33% amongst those aged 25 and 40 – and remarkably, the lowest level of support for the measure was amongst those over the age of 75.

Yes, the results suggest the majority in all age groups are happy with nightclubs staying open – but such sizeable minorities in each category really should be a cause of concern. The nightlife sector really could do a better job of promoting itself…