A POPULAR pub has been forced to close its doors after several members of staff were told to self-isolate.

The Clog and Billycock in Pleasington, Blackburn, will remain closed this evening and potentially into tomorrow (Tuesday) lunchtime after some of the crew were contacted by NHS test and trace.

Bosses at the pub said that they would be taking a ‘belt and braces’ approach to the news, closing for the safety of customers and staff.

A spokesman said: “Sadly, a few of our crew have been contacted by NHS test and trace as ‘close contacts’, so we’ve acted swiftly, taken a belt and braces approach and now have a number of our team self-isolating, which has in all honesty left us really thin on the ground, this evening in particular.

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“We take the safety of our crew and customers very seriously and as a result, we’re really sorry to say, that we won’t be open this evening and we’ve also contacted tomorrow lunchtimes bookings to say, we’re sorry and to please bear with us. We’ll be back in touch tomorrow, with an update.

“We're so sorry for any inconvenience this causes, and hope you understand we have taken this belt and braces approach to ensure the safety of our crew and customers, above all else.

“We’ll be back in touch soon, and thank you for understanding and support.”