Publicans have rejected Boris Johnson’s suggestion that it could be left up to them to decide whether to only permit customers who have been vaccinated against coronavirus.

The boss of the Shepherd Neame chain said on Thursday that making jabs mandatory for entry to pubs is a “fairly poorly thought out idea”, as ministers review the possible use of health certificates.

Trade bodies said making access conditional on jabs is “simply unworkable” and would cause “conflict” between staff and punters.

Tory lockdown sceptic Steve Baker further warned the move could create a “two-tier Britain”, while Labour frontbencher Ed Miliband said it would be wrong to leave the public health measure up to pub landlords.

The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that it “may be up to individual publicans” whether they require customers to have a “Covid vaccination certificate”.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is reviewing the possible use of coronavirus status certificates under plans to ease England’s lockdown.

But the use of certificates may not be as straightforward as vaccine or no vaccine, as recent negative test status may also be considered and landlords may be incentivised to employ them.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame pub group, ruled out making vaccines mandatory for entry to his premises.

“I think it’s absolutely fine to exclude people where there is a situation of bad behaviour or drunkenness, and that’s already enshrined in law,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“But if you’re going to exclude people for what they are, or what they have not done, that’s a wholly different issue which does touch on discrimination, civil liberties, and in this case data protection issues.”

He warned the move could also see bar staff “subject to intimidation”, adding: “This is fraught with difficulty I think, and it is, in my view, a fairly poorly thought out idea at this stage.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the UKHospitality trade body, said it is “crucial” that visits to pubs and restaurants are not subject to mandatory vaccination certification.

“It is simply unworkable, would cause conflict between staff and customers and almost certainty result in breaches of equality rules,” she said.

The British Beer and Pub Association said the requirement would not be “appropriate or necessary”.

Mr Miliband, Labour’s shadow business secretary, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “If this was really a public health measure, you wouldn’t be saying, ‘Well, it is going to be a landlord discretion’ – you’d be saying, ‘This is the Government’s view, this is what’s safe’.”

Former minister Mr Baker, the deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown sceptics, urged the Government not to “fall into this ghastly trap”.

He added: “Whether the state legislates for it, recommends it or simply allows it, the result will be the same: a two-tier Britain that prevents pregnant women from taking part in society, given that the Government is telling them not to take the vaccine, or one where we turn back the clock and tolerate businesses turning away customers from communities which have shown an unfortunate hesitancy to take up the offer of a vaccine.”