As businesses prepare to reopen on April 12, Central Bedfordshire Council has made 'restart grants' available to help them reopen safely.

Non-essential retail businesses can apply for one-off payments of up to £6,000, while hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses can receive grants of up to £18,000.

Only certain retail businesses are eligible - with food retailers, garden centres, vehicle repair and MOT centres, laundrettes and dry cleaners excluded.

Cllr David Shelvey, executive member for corporate resources, said: "If you own a business in any of these sectors, we would encourage you to visit our website to see whether you are eligible to apply for this grant.

"All applications will be processed in order of when they are received, and we encourage businesses to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out."

Businesses can apply via the council's website until June 30.