Reporter Huw Borland decided to confront a ban on wearing hats in Haywards Heath pubs head on as he donned a variety of headwear for a spot of afternoon drinking.

Huw, who works for The Argus in Brighton, ventured into local bars sporting a trilby, bowler hat, Cub Scout cap and a Russian soldier’s helmet after freelance photographer Kelly Davis was turned away from two venues for wearing a cap.

Huw said: “One of our photographers got turned away so we decided to test out the strict dress code. Unfortunately, it meant me waltzing around in a bowler hat in the afternoon!”

Luckily for Huw, it appeared that the bars’ dress code was not as strict on a Tuesday afternoon as a Friday or Saturday night.

Huw said: “The story almost flopped because everyone served us! I just got served with a wry smile and they probably just thought I was a buffoon.”

The hat ban in Haywards Heath has seen Burberry caps placed at the top of the list of banned headwear because publicans say they are the sign of a troublemaker.

Andrew Peters, bar manager at Orange Square, which was one of the pubs to refuse snapper Kelly, told The Argus: “In the same way that we do not allow trainers on a Friday or Saturday, our dress code is smart casual and we do not consider baseball caps to be smart.”

But Huw had a slightly different perception of his headwear.

He said: “I looked like the short one out of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum with the army helmet on!”

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