RESTAURANTS feel “stabbed in the back” by the Government’s decision to move York into Tier 3 with just a few hours' notice - forcing eateries to cancel hundreds of New Year’s Eve bookings.

Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock said on Wednesday that the city would move into Tier 3 along with North Yorkshire - forcing restaurants to close except for takeaway, delivery and click and collect services from midnight on December 30.

Head chef at Le Cochon Aveugle in Walmgate, Joshua Overington, said the last-minute decision meant hundreds of pounds worth of food was wasted.

He added: “It felt like a real stab in the back from the Government. Everybody could see the rates rising in York, and the Government knew how serious it was.

“We understand the necessity for Tier 3 but New Year’s Eve is one of our biggest nights of the year. I had over a hundred people, all paying £125 per head, booked in for New Year’s Eve. All the food had been delivered and prepped, so to cancel everything with just a few hours notice makes us angry,

“Did they expect us to not prepare for New Year’s Eve, with the chance we may or may not be open for it?"

Joshua added that due to the late announcement, he was unable to rearrange a takeaway service for the final night of 2020.

Tom McKenzie, owner of Spark York, said: “Making such a call with essentially nine hours notice speaks of a Government that clearly do not have the interests of people or businesses at heart. At Spark, everyone had been stocking up for a busy New Year’s service only to have the rug pulled at the very final moment. They are now faced with huge amounts of wasted produce, and no clear end in sight.

“The execution of this most recent change has been typically woeful.”

Chris Harrison, owner of Solita in York, said: “It’s a joke. We have massive bills to pay and we are all forced to just be takeaways at a moment's notice. The Government must help the industry.”

Meanwhile, a Facebook page called ‘North Yorkshire Restaurants - Excess Stock’ has been set up for eateries to sell cooked food and raw ingredients while the area is in Tier 3.