Ashby's Monkey Tree restaurant and bar has been praised for staying open and serving the community during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The Mill Lane Mews venue was highlighted as part of Ashby receiving a Purple Flag award which is given to towns who promote their night-time economy.

Mayor of Ashby, Graham Allman, and Mayoress Charmaigne visited the Monkey Tree on Saturday to talk about the efforts made during the pandemic.

The Mayoress said: "Before lockdown came, The Monkey Tree reopened, and so much work and effort has been put in to create another successful business in Ashby.

"The staff and the owner have overcome the difficulties caused by Covid-19 and kept things going.

"This is really important to, not only the community in Ashby, but also to us, the Mayor and Mayoress.

"We want to support small businesses like this that are working really hard to keep things going."

The Mayor added: "This is fourth year Ashby has been awarded the Purple Flag which is quite an honour and prestigious for the town.

"It's based on the good work that the licensees of the town do to keep the night-time economy thriving, which is most important to the town and the council are fully behind Pubwatch as well.

"We are grateful to local businesses who are staying open safely to help the town become - and retain - its position as the seventh most popular market town in the country to reside."

Owner Steve Stewart says The Monkey Tree never totally closed even when the Government introduced lockdown in March.

He said: "We ran a takeaway and delivery service, so we've never been totally shut, we've always had some sort of service for the community.

"In March and April, we were doing food boxes, meat and vegetable, for people who couldn't get out.

"We were even taking those to places like Loughborough. We had staff delivering those in their own vehicles so it was costing us rather than making us money.

"We didn't do the Help Out To Eat Out scheme as we felt we'd done enough.

"But we are doing - and this is forever - is give NHS staff 10 per cent off.

"We've put new windows in, painted the building, to try and make as welcoming and successful as possible."

The site on which The Monkey Tree is built dates back to the fourth century and a plaque is set to be featured on the building.

The Mayoress added: "Places like The Monkey Tree have helped mental health during lockdown.

"And mental health - Mind - is our charity.

"Steve has promoted that for us and has paid for posters which are going up soon.

"He's made a huge contribution towards mental health which will stay in Ashby.

"Also, Amanda Shakespeare has also. Amanda is a co-ordinator relating to organising and getting things online,

"She's made an amazing job and I want to say, on behalf of Amanda, without her, the charity in Ashby, where we are now, would not exist.

"I couldn't do it all on my own."