Families can look forward to a winter treat as a Suffolk pub has announced it will be opening a synthetic ice rink in its garden.

Visitors to the Anchor Inn in Nayland will be able to enjoy some ice skating when the rink opens tomorrow, Thursday, November 4.

The artificial ice rink will be able to fit 50 skaters on at one time.

Operations manager Ross Parrock said: "It has been a very difficult year for the hospitality industry, so we decided to try and find a different experience for our customers and with outside experiences still very popular we thought it would be the perfect thing for families to come down and be able to do a bit of outside skating and then enjoy some dining if they wanted too afterwards.

"We have always at The Anchor tried to find new experiences for customers, when we first opened after the pandemic we were one of the first to put the pods in along the riverbank."

As well as the ice rink the pub will also have a new outdoor dining space called the Ivy room which is like an indoor garden.

There will also be festive music playing and will be fully lit during the dark winter evenings, which will add a Christmas feel to those visiting.

"We are more than just food and drink it is all about the experience at The Anchor," Mr Parrock added.

"We think it will be busy and with current environmental issues we are all concerned with we have opted for an eco ring which has a much smaller carbon footprint.

"It is a way of us trying to find another income.

"Recruitment has been impossible this year so our numbers have been limited and we have already had to close our business two days a week purely because there is just not enough staff out there."

The pub is also offering skate and dine so that customers will be able to have a go skating and then have a meal from the seasonal set menu.

The ice rink will be open Tuesday - Sunday through November and seven days a week through the whole of December also opening in Christmas Eve and Boxing Day with some late night skating on New Years Eve.

Tickets start at £6 for children and £9 for adults and can be booked online.