INDEPENDENT coffee shops have told of a huge drop-off in trade earlier this week as the UK was hit by record temperatures.

Cooler weather returned to the country yesterday, after an unprecedented heatwave sent mercury soaring to levels never seen before.

Bredenbury, near Bromyard, recorded a temperature of 38C on Monday, smashing the previous record for Herefordshire of 34.4C recorded at Preston Wynne on August 3, 1990.

Several food shops and cafes in Hereford closed their doors on Monday and Tuesday as the heat took hold.

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Miros Cafe in St Owen Street was one of those to take the decision to shut as the weather kept customers at home.

Hereford Times: Miros Cafe in St Owen StreetMiros Cafe in St Owen Street

Boz Laveckaja, manager at Miros, said: "We closed an hour or so early on Monday as it started getting hotter and hotter and it was obvious that no one was braving the weather.

"After a very slow and difficult day on Monday, we took the decision to close for the day on Tuesday as we knew it would be the same again with people sheltering from the heat and not going out."

Now the temperature has receeded, Ms Laveckaja said things are back to normal again.

She said: "Everyone is happy now it's cooler again, we've been pretty busy since Wednesday."

Eden House of Coffee has been open in High Town for seven months.

The shop made a decision to open and close early on Monday and Tuesday to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Co-owner Karen Roughton said: "It was so quiet. People were in general staying at home and as out of the sun as possible and you can't blame anyone for that."

"Even with the early opening hours, no one was venturing out, the town was as quiet as I've ever seen it."