THE news that all coronavirus restrictions has been met with cautious optimism by most - and nowhere more so than in the pub trade.

The sector has been one of the hardest hit of all, first being forced to close and then being hamstrung by restrictions that seem to make little sense.

But from July 19, punters will once again be able to enjoy the simple action of going to the bar and ordering a pint, rather than having to rely on table service.

Debbie Burrows is the landlady of the Lake Road Inn in Keswick. She believes the restrictions have been eased at just the right time for her business.

She said: "I'm pleased it's happening otherwise I would be closing down. It's staff that is the problem, it's the table service.

"I'm having to put on three staff when normally it would just be one. On top of that, nobody can get any staff. I've been trying to hire since we reopened in May.

"Inside is easier to manage but everyone wants to sit outside."

"I've had to roll in my family, its been chaos. My son is a bricklayer and he's had to come in on evenings and my husband works at Sellafield and has had to go on leave to help out."

Debbie, who is classed as vulnerable to Covid, is unsure whether all restrictions should be eased on July 19.

But it is the rules around table service that have been causing the biggest problems.

She added: "Don't get me wrong, if it was just that restriction that would sort it out. I'm happy with the masks and social distancing.

"It's been a long haul. A lot of us in the trade were thinking we weren't going to get through it. I think we've just got to learn to live with it.

"We're just a little family run pub, I've been here for 25 years. I've been through foot and mouth, floods, and I've never known anything like this."