Staff shortages lead to pubs and restaurants reducing their hours

• Watch our report from Victoria Lampard

A summer of staycations means an influx of visitors to the East over the next few months.

Great news for those in the hospitality sector keen to recoup some of the losses made during the last year, but frustratingly they may not be able to take full advantage of the increase in demand, because they need more staff.

The Boathouse in Dedham has been trying to fill vacancies in the kitchen for a year.

It's a question landlords and restaurant owners are asking themselves across the region.

The Chestnut group runs more than a dozen venues across East Anglia.

It's introduced a number of incentives to retain and recruit staff, giving them benefits, a career path and better hours and choosing to remain closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year.

Philip Turner from the Chestnut Group believes that a lot of people are scared to return to work in the hospitality sector because they know if there is another lockdown, hospitality will get locked down first. He also believes Brexit has had an impact.

The Chestnut Group are currently running 5 of their sites 5 days a week rather than 7.

At the Marlborough pub in Dedham, their newly refurbished rooms can only be booked for 4 nights of the week because staff vacancies have remained unfilled for 4 months.

The Managing Director of Anglian Country Inns says its vital the industry gets further help