Wetherspoon takes £ 556m hit

PUBS chain JD Wetherspoon has sunk to a loss of £ 105.4million after sales took a £ 556million hit from the Covid- 19 crisis.

The company said it saw an increase in business in the weeks following the easing of lockdown but the new restrictions and 10pm curfew have seen this fall back. One- off costs due to Covid- 19 hit £ 29million, including £ 5.9million in drinks and food that had to be thrown away, £ 6.2million on PPE, screens and other equipment to make pubs Covid- secure, and £ 17.1million on staff costs.