Coronavirus: Suffolk village pub pleads for customers to return

The owners of a village pub which was virtually empty on its first Friday night after lockdown have pleaded for customers to return.

Julie and Stephen Penney filmed a quiet bar and restaurant at The Swan in Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, which would normally be busy at the start of the weekend.

They have had to lay-off the chef and cook the food themselves, and a cask of real ale has been lasting a week rather than a day.

Mrs Penney said: "We need people to realise that we need them back because next year is a long way away when you've got no trade."

The government said it would help the hospitality industry by reducing VAT from 20% to 5% for six months and by offering diners a discount of up to £10 per head at eligible restaurants, Monday to Wednesday.