BOSSES from a bar and restaurant have called on the Government to provide urgent financial support for struggling hospitality businesses amid new coronavirus restrictions.

Residents in Barrow are now banned from meeting people other households indoors socially, including in pubs and restaurants.

Lisa and Andrew Turner, co-owners of the Odd Frog, are appealing to the Government to bring back the furlough scheme and help businesses in areas with Tier 2 restrictions. They said they were operating at 40 per cent of usual capacity and had seen trade ‘destroyed’ following the introduction of the 10pm curfew.

Mr Turner said: “The Government are going to have to come up with something or we’ll have to think about how long we can survive.

“Turnover is so low it’s barely covering the basics, and I can only see it getting worse. Every day it goes on is another nail in the coffin. If the big boys are struggling I don’t know what’s going to happen to small guys. There is no hope. If the Government want this industry to survive they are going to have to do something to help.”

Mr Turner said he would rather venues were told to close and receive financial support, as would happen if Barrow enters Tier 3, than be faced with the current situation.

Barrow MP Simon Fell said he had been discussing support for hospitality with the Government.

He said: “I’ve been making representations to the treasury and business department on this issue. A number of businesses have reached out to me to provide a clear picture of the challenges that they are facing as a result, and I’ve shared that direct with ministers so that they can see the scale of the problem. I would urge any businesses to get in touch with me so that I can make their case to Government.”

The furlough scheme, providing 80 per cent of workers’ wages, will end on October 31. An extension to the Job Support Scheme, which would see the Government pay two-thirds of wages for businesses told to close, has also been announced.