The Nighttime Industries Association (NTIA) has said that introducing vaccine passports for UK clubs is an "unworkable" option.

It was recently revealed that the government has been considering vaccine passports as a viable option for reopening the hospitality and nightlife sectors as the UK emerges from its latest COVID-19 lockdown, but a statement issued by the NTIA has warned that the scheme could cause "further anxiety" for venue operators and staff.

The group's CEO, Michael Kill, said: "The additional barriers around mandatory vaccination certificates to gain access to businesses within the sector are unworkable, and would cause further anxiety for operators, creating more barriers to businesses, and potential conflict between staff and customers, as well as being discriminatory, given that the core of our market will not have been given the opportunity to have the vaccine by the time the roadmap engages the sector."

Under current government guidelines, clubs and other music venues can open without social distancing measures no earlier than June 21. This may be delayed, however, as the government continues to review COVID-19 levels at each stage of reopening from the recent lockdown.

Kill's statement follows a series of recent interventions from the NTIA in relation to the government's treatment of clubs and other music venues throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In February, the group warned that urgent targeted support was required for the nighttime sector in order to save a number of venues and jobs.