A WEDDING singer has hit out at the government’s conflicting lockdown rules which have left him unable to work, along with many others in the hospitality industry.

Arthur Geldard, from Clitheroe, would usually be busy performing at weddings but the new coronavirus restrictions on guest attendance for ceremonies have put him out of work.

The dad-of-one feels the rules are hypocritical, with only 15 people allowed at weddings but many more are allowed to mix at pubs and bars until 10pm.

He said: “I would be preparing for a gig or a wedding at this time but instead I am doing nothing, just sat at home worrying.

“It is a really challenging time and hard to be positive about it all.”

Mr Geldard, 26, cancelled his own April 26 wedding and rescheduled for November 14. New rules came into force on Monday meaning only 15 people would be allowed to attend so him and his fiancée Holly decided not to go ahead.

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He said: “It is a hard pill to swallow when there are people in pubs, even if they are in groups of six they’re all under the same roof.

“There does not seem to be much support for us, but I am lucky to have another part time job serving coffee.”

The singer did play at Gisburne Park Pop Up over the summer but has not had any other bookings.

He said: “It has been a struggle financially, I don’t understand why you can have 30 people at a pub who don’t know each other but not at a wedding.

“It feels like there is a lot of hypocrisy. I am not going to be a singer for the next year and that is really hard because I miss it.”

He spent the lockdown months outside his house, singing for his neighbours to keep their spirits up while stuck at home.

He said: “I am trying to think of ways to keep singing, although a lot of it is online now, but I am still recording songs as messages to people from family and friends who have not seem them in a while.”