THE chief of a leading livestock auction company has said the get back to work message for the construction sector spelled good news for the economy.

In his weekly diary, Richard Rankin, chief executive officer of H&H Group, based in Carlisle, said that this was a part of a supply chain that affects a significant part of their economy - the housing market.

“As a group with a land and estates business, this was good news, as we hope that this, with the slightly relaxed measures of the lockdown, can mean we will hit the ground running once things return to normal,” he said.

“And return to normal they will. We have several staff furloughed, particularly in the land and estates business and I sincerely hope they can all safely return to business as usual.”

Mr Rankin went on to praise his farmstock team, who he said were instrumental in keeping ‘business as usual’ over the extended weekend break.

He said: “They were doing what they do best - continuing to service the breeding cattle and calf sales, and of course the next on-line timed sale of pedigree cattle. A lot of preparation is needed for these sales, and with strict guidelines in place this adds significantly to the workload, but each time the teams rise to the challenge and deliver the service we are renowned for.”

He added: “Let’s make sure we enjoy the additional breathing space we’ve been given but not forgetting what we are still trying to prevent is a second spike and minimise any unnecessary lives lost.”