PUBS and other hospitality businesses are to face a difficult festive season under the latest covid-19 rules, it has been said.

It was announced on Monday afternoon that from Friday, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will have to close by 6pm and will not be allowed to serve alcohol.

After 6pm they will only be able to provide takeaway services.

Brian Vardy, chairman of Chester and South Clwyd Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: "I think it's very bad news - we'd welcome the support obviously but this is a peak time for pubs and it will hit them very hard at Christmas and New Year.

"For one thing, I think this is discrimination against people who might be in work until five or six o'clock.

"And for another, will people still be able to leave the pub at six o'clock and walk over the road to the off license or the supermarket and buy drink there?

"I think if you're stopping it being sold in pubs at six, it should be the same everywhere."

He also expressed concern over the amount of time, effort and investment pubs had put in to make their premises safe.

"Up until lockdown a few weeks ago," he added, "you had to put a mask on outside the pub, then be escorted to a table and then you had to order from your table.

"If you had to get up you had to put a mask on again - to me that seems safe.

"Pubs will be feeling very upset because they have spent a lot of money to comply with the regulations only to see them change again."

Mr Vardy said he believes for some pubs, the latest rules will be "the last straw" and reiterated his previous concern that if premises close, there may be some which never reopen.

He added: "People should of course follow the regulations and not break them, but I think they are unfair."

Under the new covid-19 rules, indoor entertainment and visitor attractions must also close.

Jim Jones, chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said: "Businesses in the hospitality sector have done everything in their power and have gone out of their way to make themselves as covid-safe as possible.

"It beggars belief that they are being targeted, because they are some of the safest places to visit.

"There's just no justification."

The Welsh Government is making a further £340m available through the Economic Resilience Fund to support businesses affected by the new changes to the regulations. It will include a specific fund to support hospitality and tourism businesses.