A PUB owner says his staff have hit breaking point after being shouted at by impatient customers, forcing him to shut for two weeks.

A number of workers at The Butlers Arms in Pleasington have been told to self-isolate and the small staff team still working have been shouted at by customers about the speed of service.

Owner Michael Hales made the decision to close for his staff's wellbeing after seeing them struggling to deal with a small number of difficult customers.

Michael said: "Everybody I know is taking a beating from people and staff are tired. It's chaotic at the minute.

"The amount of staff we had self-isolating left pressure being put on the existing staff who were then being shouted at by customers saying the service is rubbish.

"I just said, let's stop and take the pressure off the existing staff because they were at breaking point. They were ready to walk."

He added: "What I want at the minute is for customers to just be patient and understand."

Currently restrictions in hospitality mean that table service is mandatory. Michael said that due to the size of the Butlers Arms' beer garden, it can take longer for a table to get drinks.

He said: "By the time the waitress has taken the order, brought it to the bar and there's possibly 10 more orders in front of you by the time you have processed the order and brought it to your table, it can be 15 to 20 minutes.

"That's not our normal procedure but unfortunately that's what we are dealing with at the minute.

READ: Popular Blackburn pub closes after several staff forced to self-isolate

"We can't have three people on the bar all making drinks because if we have got three people behind the bar and one gets Covid all three are isolating.

"That's the principle of having less staff in the places we have got. It's tough."

The pub will reopen when staffing levels increase.