LARGS bars and restaurants have won praised for their efforts to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

The local community council say that all local premises had done an 'excellent job' before being closed by the current circuit breaker imposed by the Scottish Government.

Businesses have had to spend thousands of pounds in updating their premises - and the community council said it had been impressed by their hard work and diligence.

Member Linda Smith said: "I just wanted to commend all the publican and restaurant owners.

"I have been very impressed. They have been very pro-active, and should be commended. It is a shame what has happened now."

Linda's comments were endorsed by the rest of the community council including new chairman Jim Phillips, who raised concerns about the high number of visitors still coming to the town from Covid-19 hotspots.

Councillor Ian Murdoch added: "The situation we have is that everyone wants to visit Largs and if the guidance allows it we can't stop people from doing so.

"People shouldn't be travelling here from outwith Ayrshire but it is only guidance and that is the difficulty."

Community council member Margaret Wood also says she has great sympathy with the publicans.

She said: "The guidance is not only impacting upon Largs businesses but those all over the country - I fear that some pubs will not survive in the long run.

"I feel really strongly that many pubs and restaurants have gone out of their way to have all the right precautions in place and this time the nature of the lockdown is nonsensical.

"I feel strongly that so many people are losing their livelihoods when they have got out their way to manage their restaurants the right way."

Largs experienced another busy weekend despite advice from the First Minister not to travel far.

Councillor Murdoch added: "I think you will find that there were a lot of people here from the Glasgow area."

Largs pubs and restaurants voiced concerns about the new restrictions in the News last week. Many owners said they feared the rules would encourage house parties.