Landlords welcomed back customers this week– with some pubs having been shut for almost a year.

Monday saw the latest major step in Boris Johnson’s coronavirus road map to recovery, with non-essential retail opening and pubs and restaurants allowed to serve customers outside.

Many pubs have revamped their beer gardens and outside areas to make it attractive for visitors, and Monday’s beautiful sunshine helped draw in the punters.

At the Sunny Hill Pub in Whitehaven people booked tables and also had the chance to pop in for a quick pint.

Landlady, Dawn McNicholas, said: “It’s great to have everyone back and sat in the beer garden.

“People were sat with hats and scarves on enjoying being out.

“It has been really busy, and it is great to have so many people returning.

“All we want now is some nice weather and it will be perfect.”

Dave Adam, landlord of the Pack Horse in Seaton, had bought two gazebos to enable customers to continue to socialise safely.

But he has had to make changes as a storm destroyed them.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, he raised enough to replace them with a more stable structure.

But he added: “I’m not opening until May.

"It isn’t financially viable and we just don’t have the money to put the order in with the brewery.”