Wetherspoons plans to open by June, says boss

The chain also owns the Prior John in Bridlington and the Angel Hotel in Whitby.

Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin and chief executive John Hutson will be taking 50 per cent pay cuts, while other board members will also slash their salaries.

The pub chain said it is also considering taking out a government-backed loan of up to £50 million.

The news follows criticism of Mr Martin who told staff to take a job at Tesco after his pubs closed their doors.

However, Wetherspoons has not outlined how it plans to reopen in June, given that the government has not yet lifted lockdown restrictions or announced when that is likely to happen.

The BBC has approached Wetherspoons for comment.

"The coronavirus outbreak is having a severe impact on the UK pub sector," said Mr Martin.

"In these challenging times I would like to thank everyone at the company, its suppliers, landlords, banks and the government for their support and commitment. We've had to take significant action to reduce costs, decisions which have not been taken lightly.

"We look forward to re‐opening our pubs and hotels and welcoming back our teams in the near future."