A popular Seaham bar has announced it will close "for a short while".
The Port of Call, in Seaham, County Durham, made the announcement on Monday night, to the disappointment of regular customers.
In a post on Facebook, a spokesperson for the bar and restaurant told customers: "Tonight, we’ve made the tough decision to close our doors for what we hope will be a short while. We’ve tried our best to adapt and evolve and will continue to do so despite the challenges we all face at this difficult time.
"We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone whose shown us love and continued to support us since we’ve opened.
"Don’t worry - we’ll be back before you know it, doing what we do best."
Many people left comments sharing their disappointment and support for the venue.
One said: "So sad to hear this. We haven't been out much but always felt looked after and safe at the Port of Call. Beautiful food too."
Another said: "Sad day but you’ve done all you possibly could hopefully you’ll get the government support you deserve to keep this great place going."
Although Port of Call owners didn't go into detail about the reasons behind the closure, many pubs, bars and restaurants in the North East have been hit hard by the impact of new coronavirus restrictions, with many blaming the rules explicitly for their closure.
Pub bosses have said the enforced 10pm curfew, as well as additional costs of providing table service and measures to ensure social distancing have hit their bottom line.
Popular Newcastle city centre pub The Town Wall blamed the "incomprehensible" lockdown rules as it announced it would shut indefinitely, while owners of 808 Bar in Sunderland said the impact of the local lockdown and updated restrictions left them "no choice" but to do what was right for both their staff and business.
