Businesses in Hull fall victim to coronavirus pandemic

Auctioneers in Hull say they are struggling to keep up with demand as hospitality companies battle to stay afloat - one year on since the first Covid case was treated in East Yorkshire.

Gilbert Baitson Auctioneers has had to lease a new warehouse specifically to store catering equipment from businesses that have fallen victim to the pandemic.

It comes almost exactly a year since the first Covid cases were taken to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham for treatment.

The first coronavirus lockdown last March prompted wedding catering company owner Tony Norrie and volunteers from the Hull 4 Heroes charity to give hot meals to staff at Hull's hospitals.

Almost a year on, he is still volunteering for the veterans' charity but says, having lost out on £160,000 of trade, he's now relying on food parcels himself.

Meanwhile the owner of one of Hull's oldest cafes, The Coffee House on Brook Street, has told ITV News the future of the 59-year-old business hangs in the balance.A spokesman for HM Treasury said: "We’ve invested more than £280bn throughout the pandemic to protect millions of jobs and businesses: including extending the furlough scheme through to April."