Isle of Man bank holiday moved to August following outcry

The rescheduled bank holiday will take place on 28 August

A Manx bank holiday has been rescheduled amid an outcry over the government's decision to scrap it.

The Senior Race Day holiday which was due at the end of the TT Races on 12 June will now take place on 28 August.

Almost 6,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be reinstated after its cancellation was published in a Tynwald order paper.

Treasury minister Alfred Cannan said he offered his "sincere apologies" for the "poor communication" of the proposals.

House of Keys speaker Juan Watterson had initially described the decision to cancel the 12 June holiday as "mean-spirited".

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Bank holidays on the Isle of Man follow the same calendar as England and Wales with two additional dates scheduled solely for Manx workers - on the final day of the TT Races in June and on Tynwald day in July.

The TT Races were cancelled on 16 March due restrictions in place to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Moving the June holiday to the Friday before the summer bank holiday in August will mean a four-day weekend for many on the Isle of Man.

Mr Cannan said he hoped businesses closed during the outbreak would be open by this time and the extended weekend "could provide a significant boost to the domestic economy".

He added that it would allow for an opportunity to recognise "the efforts of the NHS and care staff, key workers and others across the community during the pandemic".