Energy bills: Lockerbie Ice Rink owners worry they won't be able to freeze ice over winter

Video report by Ryan Dollard

The owners of Lockerbie Ice Rink fear its future is at risk amid sky-rocketing energy bills.

The rink's annual energy costs have more than doubled, and they are worried they will not be able to afford to freeze their ice over the winter months.

The iconic venue on Glasgow Road is an important part of the local community and has served as a training ground for several Olympic athletes.

These include a number of Scotland's curlers, with Team GB captain and silver medalist David Murdoch among them.

Owner Duncan Gracie confirmed the outlook was "pretty grim" and said: "We got an increase in our energy costs of around £110,000.

"We historically run about £55,000 for our energy costs, and we're looking at new costs of around £60,000, which is a huge increase for us."

Mr Gracie is among many small business owners across Cumbria and southern Scotland who fear October's energy price hikes will put them out of business.

While households face a huge 80% rise in energy bills as the price cap jumps from £1,971 to £3,549, businesses are not protected by the cap, so do not have a limit on their tariffs.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is among those calling on the government to include businesses in the cap.

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