The Beefeater pub/restaurants the Grapes and the generically named ones in Uxbridge and Hayes suddenly closed on Thursday.

Whitbread had previously announced plans to sell 126 of its less profitable branded "restaurants", with 21 sales already having gone through. This would see the loss of 1,500 jobs.

The company is quoted as saying the closures :- "...will increase our profits and returns ... we also need to think about our shareholders. "