A pub and hotel owner has expressed serious concern over the state of rural pubs in the run up to Christmas after facing numerous cancellations to bookings.

The landlord of the Oddfellows Arms in Caldbeck, James Whitesmith, said the pub and hotel is empty for for the entire month.

During a squeeze, which James said other rural pubs in Cumbria are also facing, Christmas party cancellations are also rife.

"We don't have a single one," said James on whether they had any Christmas parties booked.

"My restaurant should be full tonight. Even New Years Eve, New Years Day and Boxing Day are normally massive days when you are full for lunch and you're pretty much going to be full for the evening.

"I've got six tables booked for New Years Eve."

James said he believes people are being put off by a lack of clarity from the Government in their guidance to people going to restaurants as cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continue to rise.

He added: "It's a concern, not just for me, but for everywhere.

"Everyone has had a terrible couple of years and some industries have come out of it quite well, but ours has come out of it incredibly short staffed and [with] a huge deficit of people wanting to come back into the profession."

"We have lost 100 per cent occupancy and 70 per cent of the bar and restaurant."

Landlord of the Plough Inn in Wreay, Mark Carruthers also expressed similar concerns.

He said: "We have had cancellations [too]. If one of the party gets Covid fair enough, but people are wondering whether or not to come at all [because of] mixed messages.

"With [the Government] just suggesting that everyone shouldn't be going out, but [that] everyone can - I think people are just caught between what to do.

"It does affect us massively. It's just a worry to see if we are going to get any recompense because it is not a proper lockdown.

"If it is a national lockdown, the Government have shown that they do put something in place.

"I think [that] there should be a bit more clarity."