Frankie and Benny's in High Wycombe has permanently shut, the company has confirmed to the Bucks Free Press.

The Crest Road restaurant was the last Frankie and Benny's in High Wycombe after the one in the Eden Shopping Centre shut down.

But a spokesman for the Italian-American themed restaurant chain said they have had to make the "difficult" decision to close after problems were "exacerbated" by the coronavirus pandemic and the effect of lockdown.

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In June it was announced that owner The Restaurant Group was planning to shut between 100 and 120 restaurants, with the closures mainly affecting Frankie and Benny's and smaller sister brands like Garfunkel's.

Regular diners were apparently notified by email that the company was "deeply saddened" to be shutting its Cressex eatery, which is next door to Empire Cinema.

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Confirming the sad news of the High Wycombe restaurant's closure, a company spokesman told the Bucks Free Press: "The casual dining sector has faced enormous, well documented pressures which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the lockdown.

"Unfortunately, we have had to take difficult but necessary decisions to ensure a sustainable future for our business.

"We have been in close contact with affected colleagues throughout this process and we are doing all we can to support them during this time.”