Nothing new then:
Surrey 19/11/2009 "Many landlords said they decided to close the pubs saying they acted on advice given to them by Surrey Police.
Keith Huddlestone, the manager of The Running Horse, in Bridge Street, Leatherhead, claims he had a warning from police about the funeral."
Henley 16/12/13
Conflicting reports:
The pub, which normally opens at 11am, stayed closed until 4.30pm when the travellers had gone.
Manager Joanne Burton said: "The decision to close was just a precaution because in the past we have had a little bit of trouble with travellers.
"The police and the council let us know what was happening but it was our choice whether or not to open
The Flowing Spring in Playhatch also closed amid fears the travellers might look for another pub to visit.
Nick Willson, who owns the pub with his wife Hazel Lucas, said: "The information we got from police and pubs in Caversham was that there would be about 1,000 travellers and it would be advisable to close.
Warrington 14/1/13"The road will be closed from King Edward Street to Padgate lane. Access will be maintained for residents and local businesses during this time although pubs have been told to close"

It seems sometimes pubs are told to close, sometimes they are advised to, and sometimes they are left with the choice.
Are the police abrogating their responsibility? Either there will be no trouble (pubs can stay open), or there is a small chance of trouble (police should handle it), or police believe that trouble is unavoidable, and should deal with it as they would any other event (Football match, protest rally) where they are expecting problems.

What is the betting that the police/licensing authority's advice to these pubs is rarely in writing, so that they cannot be effectively quoted.