THE leader of Bradford Council says the district’s hospitality industry could be devastated if it is placed into Tier 3.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this afternoon that there will be a return to the three-tier system to combat covid from December 3, the day after the national lockdown is lifted.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe says she does not expect West Yorkshire, including Bradford, to be in Tier 1 and awaits clarification of what restrictions will be made in Tiers 2 and 3.

She added it was a relief non-essential shops would be able to reopen from December 3 ahead of Christmas.

Cllr Hinchcliffe, said: “The Government has at least announced the next set of restrictions in advance.

“We wait to hear from Government which tier West Yorkshire will be in.

“Today Bradford district has the 15th highest infection rate in the country.

“We are working hard with residents and businesses to get these down as quickly as possible.

“Government will make the ultimate decision on which tier they consider the region should be in.

“We don’t expect to be in tier 1, and we don’t yet know the details of the parameters for tier 2 and tier 3.

“It is a relief that all retail will be allowed to open from the end of national restrictions, as long as they operate COVID safely, in what is the busiest trading month of the year for many of them.”

But Cllr Hinchcliffe “But I am very conscious that if the Bradford District is placed in Tier 3 next month the restriction on the hospitality industry that only allows a delivery or takeaway service could be devastating for the future prospects of many businesses and the supply chains that rely on them.

“We await full details from the Government about funding and support for our businesses and their employees.

“I’m pleased that we are seeing a reduction in infection rates locally and would like to thank everyone in the Bradford District for their efforts to observe the recent weeks of national restrictions. “However, we know our hospitals are still under immense pressure, so we know we are not out of the woods yet and that there will be a need for sustained vigilance. Let’s keep going and make sure the infection rate keeps going down.”