BOSSES at Barrow's Wetherspoons have revealed why the pub has had to shut temporarily.

Punters were turned away from the Furness Railway on Abbey Road on Saturday night and a sign was posted in the window saying it was closed due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.

Wetherspoons spokesman Eddie Gershorn has now confirmed the pub, and its attached hotel, have been closed down due to an outbreak of sickness among staff.

He said: "There has been an outbreak of sickness among some staff at the pub. As a result we took it upon ourselves to close and are undergoing a professional deep clean.

"At the moment there is no day or time when it will reopen.

"The pub has an excellent track record, is popular and well-maintained.

"Unfortunately some staff have reported sick and we will not reopen until we have enough staff to run the pub and completed the clean."

Earlier this month environmental health bosses visited The Duke of Edinburgh Hotel after diners allegedly fell ill after eating there.

Health chiefs from Barrow Council after a customer said their whole table became sick after dining there. 

A spokesman said at the time: "We had one group on a table who went down with sickness but we also served 90 other diners that day and no-one else came back with any illness except them.

"We also had 12 of our own staff eat some of the left-over meat and no-one had any problems.

"It is based on an unproven allegation."

The spokesman said the hotel was visited by the council and had been told the group who made the complaint was not 'complying with the investigation'.

"This happens a lot in the industry," said the spokesman.

"If one person in a group passes an illness onto others, they blame the restaurant which is extremely unfair. It's because if one person has something like norovirus and sits with a group of other people, they will likely pass on to them.