A popular visitor attraction left facing a "financial black hole" due to the coronavirus crisis is to shed staff.

Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, has confirmed it has begun a redundancy consultation with staff as it looks to cut 62 roles across 15 areas of the charity which runs the historic venue.

Lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant the business saw its income dwindle to almost nothing for more than 12 weeks.

Despite restrictions being eased in recent weeks, bosses say limits on visitor numbers and the reduced length of the summer season mean costs have to be reduced ahead of the winter.

Robin Richman, chief executive at the attraction, said: "It is with a heavy heart that the Trustees of the charity responsible for Leeds Castle, the Leeds Castle Foundation, have had to start a redundancy process involving some of our staff.

"The team at Leeds Castle is very close, so this has been a difficult decision.

"But we have to be realistic about the impact on our finances and do everything we can to safeguard the charity and the historic assets it is there to protect and preserve."

Earlier in the summer the Castle faced fierce criticism for its decision not to extend annual tickets for current holders or those whose tickets had expired during the lockdown.

In an email to customers, the attraction described facing a "financial black hole" when attempting to meet the £7million annual running costs of the historic site.

The castle's previous chief executive, Sir David Steel, stepped down in the spring and was last month appointed Governor of Gibraltar.

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