Covid: South Yorkshire pub managers fear business and home loss

Sheffield MP Louise Haigh said pubs had "no way of surviving"

Pub managers in South Yorkshire have said they fear losing their businesses and homes after the county moved into the highest tier of coronavirus rules.

Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, said since it moved into tier three at midnight on Friday, customer numbers had "fallen through the floor".

Dave Wicks, who has been in the pub trade for 30 years, said it was "doom and gloom".

Household mixing has been banned indoors and in most outdoor settings.

Pubs that do not serve meals have also had to close under tier three restrictions.

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Ms Haigh said: "Customers have fallen through the floor, even those ones that have not been forced to close, they are not seeing the same amount of business as they used to.

"Their bills are still the same, their rent is still the same, and they've just got no way of surviving."

Pub manager Dave Wicks said he feared losing his home under the new coronavirus restrictions

Mr Wicks and his wife Ruth, who run The Little Plough in Doncaster, live on the premises and fear becoming homeless if the pub closes long-term.

"If the boss can't sustain the business then we become homeless," he said.

"It's doom and gloom sat in the flat, we can't do anything or go anywhere."

Ian and Alison Blaylock said it was "a worrying time"

Ian and Alison Blaylock, who run the Doncaster Brewery and Tap bar, said their business had been closed since March.

"For us, we would hope to get through November and December to get money through the door, to sustain us," Mrs Blaylock said.

"We don't think it'll be over in 28 days, we'll lose our December trade that we need to keep us going.

"It's a worrying time."

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