Businesses that straddle England and Wales are again preparing to adhere to conflicting rules depending on which side of the border they are on after Wales announced a 17-day ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown.

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, announced on Monday that the country would begin the 17-day period of strict Covid-19 regulations on Friday, October 23.

As a result, businesses such as pubs, restaurants and hotels will be closed on the Welsh side of the border, while businesses on the English side will remain open.

Paul Rogers, manager of The Hand Hotel, based on the Welsh side of the border in Chirk, will be reverting to takeaway service only from Friday as it prepares to adhere to stricter measures again.

“It’s tough times,” he said.

“ It’s frustrating because a lot of our customers have said they feel totally safe when they come here.

“We’ve done everything we’ve been asked to, and done more on top of that, and I feel like we have been penalised for other areas of the country, or larger towns, for people and places which may not have done that.

“It’s frustrating, but I do realise it has got to be done and these measures have got to be taken, but I just hope it works and brings the numbers down and we can again get back towards some sort of normality.

“Hopefully, there is no need for another circuit-breaker before Christmas, because if businesses in our trade and the retail sector don’t get a boost before Christmas, I don’t know how many of them will survive.”

Tracey Jones, who is the new landlord at The Bridge Inn on the English side of the border in Chirk, believes the circuit-breaker in Wales will make business difficult for those operating near the border in England as well as for those on the Welsh side.

She said: “Because we are so close to the border, locals in Chirk that were previously coming down here can’t now.

“Even though it’s a matter of a few yards, they won’t be able to cross the border.

“These restrictions will hurt businesses on both sides of the border.

“The pub trade isn’t the best trade to be in at the best of times – having the restriction on customers coming through the door is going to make it 100 times harder for any licensee regardless of where they are.

“We’re not going to be closed but closing the border and making it difficult is not great and not great for people’s mental health either.

“There will be a lot of licensees now stressing and worrying about how they are going to meet their bills.

“There will be concessions perhaps for breweries and companies they work for, but utilities have still got to be paid.”

Tanat Holiday Park, which straddles the border, has been told half of its site can remain open as it is situated in England, but the Welsh side must close during the circuit-breaker.

Cheryl Hall, from the holiday park, praised the Welsh Government for its guidance during a confusing time for the site.

She said: “The Welsh Government, in fairness, have been good to us.

“From Friday, at the moment, we can allow customers from the medium tier, in England, to visit if they have a caravan situated on the English side of the site.

“They have been given permission to drive through Wales to gain access to the English caravan pitch if necessary.

“I have 90 statics in Shropshire and 54 in Wales, so unfortunately the customers with a Welsh pitch are not able to come down, even if they are in the medium tier, but the English ones can.

“It’s still quite confusing, but the government and the council here have been very good and have allowed us to remain open for our English side to an extent as opposed to shutting us down.

“We’re obviously in this situation for the right reasons, but with the border running through the middle we are in a bit of a different situation here.”