HOSPITALITY venues throughout Bridport and the surrounding areas are struggling to attract staff amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Many pubs and restaurants are understaffed and some have even had to close for short periods due to the lack of people on the books.

The issue is a national one as well as local, affecting pubs, restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality trade - along with as factories and warehouses among other industries.

The White Lion in West Allington made the decision to shut for a day on Monday, July 19 in order to give its staff a day off as they were 'exhausted' due to a shortage of workers.

Nicki Hayton, branch director of Poundbury-based recruitment agency, MPloy, said the shortage in staff was 'as bad as it has ever been'.

She said: "Hospitality is having a huge problem at the moment. We're being called by more hospitality venues than ever before needing cooks, waiting staff, bar staff, kitchen porters, anything you can think of.

"There's a definite shortage in that area but many more also, if I had 100 people walk through my door I could put them all to work tomorrow.

"There are a number of things we believe it could be down to. As a result of Brexit there are no foreign workers to fulfill the lower level work like they would before, if you go to work in a foreign country, you tend to go into hospitality or factory work, the industries which are struggling the most. The Covid pandemic and the furlough scheme have also led to more shortage and candidates currently receiving Jobseekers Allowance don't have to prove they are looking for work like they usually would."

John Baker, landlord of the Ropemakers Pub on West Street, said that some venues have been facing a constant battle with staffing since being able to reopen.

Mr Baker said: "It's an issue that I think is going to get worse in the very near future, if somebody is told to self-isolate they are off without notice and have to fill the shift.

"With restrictions being loosened, there's more of a change of people coming into contact with the virus and having to isolate.

"I think its a mixture of several things; it's no longer as easy for foreign staff to come and work here and there will be people who previously worked in hospitality who are nervous to go back to this sort of work following the pandemic.

"Some places have been looking for staff since being able to reopen."

He added: "People were getting very impatient as we didn't have the staff to serve people as quickly as usual with the mandatory table service. We couldn't serve people as quickly as if they had come to the bar and people were walking out.

Claire Pimbley, landlady of the Half Moon Inn in Melplash, said: "We have noticed its been harder to recruit, I think there's various factors.

"Most notably, I think people have re-trained throughout the lockdown period. Hospitality went away for a good while and people still had rent and mortgages to pay. They found other jobs and they're now settled.

"Maybe lockdown has also shown people they don't have to work evenings and weekends. I don't think money's a factor for people, we like to think we're very generous and one of the higher payers in the area."

Alex Taylor, manager of the Tiger Inn, said: "We've been fine for staff personally being a family run business, we're very lucky with that one. But I'm definitely aware of a shortage in general with venues struggling to get staff.

"The whole thing of getting pinged and having to isolate is a problem with all the restrictions loosened.

"Six of the staff are family and only four aren't so if any of us get pinged then we'd be in serious trouble."