Chief executive Ian Girling said, “There is no doubt many businesses will be devastated by this second lockdown, particularly when they have already done all they can to comply with requirements.

“These announcements have been made in a haphazard way and whilst we have seen some relief with the extension of the furlough scheme until December, this is only a short-term solution.

“Many businesses are already in a very precarious position and forward financial support for employers and employees needs commensurate with the scale of restrictions imposed.

“This time needs to be used to enable mass test and trace systems and the development of a long-term strategy to dealing with this pandemic.

“Hopefully this will also be a wakeup call for the many individuals who continue to blatantly ignore requirements – and businesses are paying the price for this. Everyone has to do their bit in this time of crisis.”