The unusually cold weather has managed to hurt yet another leisure group, as JD Wetherspoon, the pubs owner, yesterday revealed. The company reported a sharp fall in sales as snowbound drinkers preferred to stay home.

Wetherspoon shared that sale at pubs that had been operational for over a year managed to fall by 0.3% in 12 weeks up-to 17 January. Presently the company owns and operates 700 pubs, with some 40 located across Scotland.

The past two weeks had been worst hit by the chilly weather and snow, as comparable sales for the ten weeks up-to 2 January were actually up by 1.2%, and this saved the sales from slipping even further.

"A couple of bad weeks in January we'll have to take on the chin but we're trading well. We think about 1 per cent growth in the second half is, based on current trading, where we're at", said John Hutson, Chief Executive of the firm.

Now that the weather conditions are better, and the snow has melted, Mr. Hutson has said that trading is starting to wind-back, and is all set to hit a high once again.