A Ripon restaurant has confirmed it has permanently closed its doors.
Residents had noticed forfeiture signs in the windows at Hot Lava Italian on Kirkgate earlier this week.
These were put in place after the restaurant's landlord took back possession of the property.
And a Hot Lava spokesperson has revealed this is due to rent issues stemming back to lockdown during the pandemic.
A spokesperson said:
"As some of you noticed, we have been forced to close due to struggles with repaying the Coronavirus lockdown rent.
"We are dealing with this issue now and hope to open our doors soon again should circumstances allow.
"Until then, we want you to know how much we value you as a customer.
"These are exceptional times and we are thankful for your patience and understanding."

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