Pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers is said to have begun redundancy consultations with staff as it deals with the impact of coronavirus.

The business which owns brands including All Bar One, Miller & Carter, Toby Carvery and Harvester employs 44,000 workers across the UK.

It has not been disclosed how many jobs are set to go, however a spokesperson said the firm would "seek to redeploy affected staff wherever possible".

They added: "Our industry is operating in exceptionally challenging and uncertain circumstances.

"While we have worked incredibly hard to make sites Covid-19 secure and keep staff and customers safe, we are facing significant difficulties from the recently introduced 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants, new enforced closures and tapering government support that doesn't go far enough.

"With trading restrictions and uncertainty likely to continue for the foreseeable future, we strongly urge the government to step up the level of support it is offering to an industry which has been repeatedly singled out and taken the full brunt of restrictions."

Other brands in the group include Vintage Inns, Ember Inns, Son of Steak, Stonehouse Pizza & Grill, Crown Carveries, O'Neill's, Premium Country Pubs, and Sizzling Pubs.