A bar where two community wardens were assaulted and briefly held hostage as they tried to enforce coronavirus restrictions has been closed for two weeks.

The manager of the Zeepaardje café in Medemblik, Noord-Holland, was arrested following the incident just after midnight on Saturday. He remains in custody.

Police said he became abusive after he saw them checking whether customers were breaking the rules and taking photographs with their phones.

Customers allegedly made death threats to the wardens, prevented them from leaving the bar, seized their phones and deleted the images. One of the wardens was slightly injured in the scuffle.

Since last weekend bars in the province have not been allowed to admit people after midnight and must close their doors at 1am.

Spot checks to make sure people are complying with other regulations such as the 1.5 metre social distancing rule have also been stepped up.

The bar was closed on the orders of the local mayor, Frank Streng, and the regional safety board which is responsible for the coronavirus rules.

‘It is unacceptable for enforcement officers to be threatened and obstructed while carrying out their duties,’ Streng wrote on Twitter. ‘Keep your hands off our community wardens and enforcement officers.’

A police spokesman said the exact role of the bar manager was being investigated. ‘We are taking this seriously because the violence involved was severe,’ he told NH Nieuws.