POPULAR riverside bar Dyls has opened up again to offer a take-out service during the new lockdown.

The bar and cafe, in the tower at Skeldergate by Tower Gardens, opened again today, selling hot food and drinks for takeaway customers only.

It will open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm throughout lockdown.

Owner Jan Dyl said social distancing and Covid-safe measures were in place for customers - including white marks on the riverside path showing where people can queue two metres apart.

And he said one of the reasons he was opening up again was to bring some fun to people's lives in the second lockdown.

He told The Press: "People have been crying out for something to do. Some form of excitement. We don't know how long this will go on for. Hopefully this will bring some joy into their daily walks."

The cafe will be serving hot drinks such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate as well as hot food to-go, including goulash, soups and a new range of toasties.

Alcohol can be bought to take-away too, including boozy hot chocolates, warm mulled ciders and hot gin toddies.

Dyl's was open during the first lockdown on a similar basis - and Jan said he thought long and hard about reopening this time around.

He said: "We thought we'd have a couple of weeks off for a break. It's been a really intense year with the constant changes and new regulations. It's been really hard. We thought we'd reset, see how other people were doing. We didn't know how this lockdown would be. And take it from there.

"Four or five days ago we decided to take the plunge; get a couple of guys back and just go for it."

He wanted to give a special thanks to Focusing Events for the use of a gazebo and said: "We love it when businesses support businesses!"