WREXHAM hospitality businesses have been left hurt and angry by the latest covid-19 measures, it has been said.

From Friday, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes across Wales 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.

Joe Bickerton, tourism manager at Wrexham Council, said: "On behalf of the hospitality businesses I work with on a daily basis - many of them were hoping post-firebreak that we'd have a fairly smooth path to Christmas. "But a lot of them are feeling quite hurt and angry at the moment.

"Although it is ok for cafes and businesses of that type, the impact of not having any alcohol sales is really going to hit our evening hospitality scene.

"Hopefully the support being provided will tide them over, but the next three or four weeks would usually be the busiest of the year for them. "We all knew we were not going to be having big Christmas parties this year but most businesses were fully booked for evening meals in the lead up to Christmas.

"A lot of them have been forced to cancel and make refunds, which is going to his them hard in the pocket."

The new regulations that come into force from 6pm on December 4 will also see cinemas, bowling alleys and other indoor entertainment venues forced to shut their doors until they are reviewed on December 17.

Mr Bickerton said it is essential that businesses apply for financial support where they can.

He added: "The key thing is to make sure they apply for the grants available through the local authority and the discretionary fund.

"The financial packages together will ease the blow and it's vital that they register to get through the winter.

"On a positive note, if businesses can get through this winter, I think there's a real pent up demand for staycations and tourism in Wales for 2021.

"We just need to navigate safely through to the spring so we can hopefully have a strong 2021."