A SOCIAL club in Ellesmere Port says "it would not be economically viable" to reopen for business and has taken the decision to remain closed until September.

Although pubs and clubs can resume trading again from tomorrow following the Government's latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown rules, Whitby Sports and Social Club says the restrictions it would have to put in place would not attract the level of custom required.

The club says it will therefore remain temporarily shut until September, although it will review that stance at the end of the month to see if further restrictions have been relaxed.

In a statement, the Whitby Sport and Social Club said: "We feel that with the current restrictions in place it would not be economically viable to open our doors for business, to do this would cost us money.

"Without function trade due to restrictions on numbers, the ban on live entertainment and loud recorded music, and other such restrictions, we feel we would not get the volume of trade required to justify opening.

"Our club runs on very narrow margins, we are a not-for-profit organisation and we need to have a busy club with a healthy all-round trade to maintain a viable facility.

"To open without this valuable income would put us under financial pressure going forward, and we want to protect the club for the future as it is vital for the community of Ellesmere Port and the surrounding area.

"As it stands, under the current guidelines, we have decided to remain closed until September, however we are going to review the situation again on 27th July and if the situation has improved and restrictions become relaxed we will reconsider.

"We are also still mindful that this nasty virus is still very much with us and we feel that the safety of our staff and our more vulnerable customers is still a major concern."

The club said it is currently in the process of going through its existing bookings, handling any previous enquiries, and either rearranging bookings or offering any refunds due.