THE owner of a coffee shop bar and restaurant in Egerton says she feels Bolton’s hospitality sector is in danger of being forgotten about as the UK enters into further coronavirus restrictions.

Pubs, bars and restaurants across England must close at 10pm from Thursday.

But in Bolton, restrictions meaning hospitality venues are only able to provide take away food and drinks or delivery services to customers remain in place two weeks after they were first announced.

Angela Baker, who operates Baker’s on Blackburn Road, says she is struggling to see why the restrictions are still in place when so many of her customers can travel to nearby villages.

“We’re sat between Belmont and Edgworth which are both open so everyone is going across the border, “ she said. “We’ve kept our eye on the infection rates and while we’re still the same as places with curfews. We’re still shut down.

“We’re like the forgotten town.”

Anglea said she felt Bolton Council were in a no-win situation.

“They’re lobbying for us but it’s falling on deaf ears,” she said. “It’s like Bolton doesn’t matter anymore.

“A group of us pubs have got together now and we want to say that we just can’t pay furlough when it goes up to 20% next week when we have no income.

“If it is not extended the employment figures in Bolton are going to rocket.”

Cllr Akhtar Zaman, deputy leader of Bolton Labour Group, said the hospitality sector needed more help from the Government.

He said: “The Council should not have to be going cap in hand to the Government to call for a return to the business support packages that existed at the beginning of the pandemic.

"It should be obvious to the government that the hospitality sector in places like Bolton, who are dealing with local lockdowns, need additional help and the furlough scheme needs to be extended.”