A PUB chain has spoken out as rumours of Herefordshire closures swirl.

Earlier this year Whitbread, the firm behind the Beefeater chain, revealed plans to close around 126 of its ‘lower-performing’ restaurants after a reduction in footfall at some locations.

A spokesperson told the Hereford Times in May that the Beefeater restaurants in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye could be affected, and rumours have since abounded on social media, with claims that the Hereford location is set to permanently close in July.

But, as of June 3, Whitbread has not officially confirmed in any public capacity that the eatery will be closing its doors.

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“We have announced proposals which could impact this site, but important to note they are subject to consultation,” said a spokesperson today (June 3).

“Worth also noting that the site is still currently open and trading.

“We recognise that this will be unsettling for our team members and we are providing them with dedicated support.

“We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by either transferring into new roles, or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly through our existing recruitment activity.”

The Hereford restaurant, called Starting Gate, is located in Holmer Road, while Ross-on-Wye's Travellers' Rest is in the town's Ledbury Road, near the M50 junction. Both are attached to Premier Inn hotels, also owned by Whitbread.

Any closed restaurants could become extra hotel rooms, contributing to the hotel's expansion of around 3,500 more rooms across the UK.