The owner of an award-winning Norfolk pub is "looking at solutions" after getting 42 no-shows across lunch and dinner service on Saturday.

Ben Handley is the chef patron of The Duck Inn in Stanhoe, near Burnham Market, and he has run it with his wife Sarah since 2013.

It was named one of the top 50 gastropubs in the UK in the Estrella Damm 2022 Guide and was raved about by food critic Giles Coren in The Sunday Times last summer.

With its strong reputation, both locally and nationally, tables are often booked up weeks in advance.

However, its popularity is being plagued by no-show diners which are a daily occurrence.

On Saturday this was particularly bad with 42 in total, including a table of 10.

When one of the groups was called by the manager, who is Ben's brother Sam, after they didn't show up they hung up on him.

Mr Handley said: "It has been particularly problematic since the pandemic across the industry.

"There is a theory that people are hedging their bets and booking multiple tables and then settling on the most convenient place.

"It is a financial drain as when people don't show up we could have easily sold those tables four times over.

"The implications of no-shows are huge and what we lost on Saturday was a massive percentage of our takings."

He has urged customers to call up and cancel if they can't make it as they often have a reserve list and another group could pick up the booking.

The team are now considering introducing deposits.

Mr Handley added: "We are now looking at solutions and once the summer holidays are out the way we will chew over the best way forward.

"We understand people's lives are hectic but cancelling is so much easier for us to deal with.

"I think a deposit will make a difference in how seriously people take bookings."

Despite the no-shows, he is feeling positive about the future and will be redesigning the menu in September with plans for more game and seafood dishes in the autumn.