Waterloo Tea Rooms, who run two teahouses in Penarth, has announced that they will be closing their sites in the interest of the local community.

In a statement on Facebook, they said: ''We thought we would get in touch to let you know about our plans over the coming days.

''We are longer able to square the circle between the overwhelming medical advice that is recommending social distancing, and the fact that we operate social spaces (our lovely teahouses).

''In the interest of public health (our staff, customers and both of their networks) we have made the decision to close our teahouses temporarily.

''Wyndham Arcade closed today and all of the remaining five teahouses will close at the end of service on Monday the 16th of March.

''We will be deep cleaning all of our teahouses once they are closed in line with our existing robust policies.

''Once we have done so we will await further guidance from the WHO and monitor how our local society adapts to the new realities.

''We will explore opening up on a trial basis in some stores for reduced hours, again depending on the best practice for doing so.

''Our online shop and wholesale tea department will remain open as they operate in a different environment to our teahouses (get your tea order in for when you work from home).

''We fully understand the need for food and drink businesses to remain open for as long as possible. The ingenuity in this field to adapt to the pandemic have been sources of inspiration for us.

''It is by learning from others that we have come to this decision. We urge you to continue supporting your local businesses in any way you can.

''We will see you again soon. Until then, stay awesome, enjoy the time off with your loved ones, and look after one another.''

Windsor Tea Rooms are situated on Stanwell Road and in the Penarth Pavilion building.