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Johnson Service Group has said it is "confident" for the future despite a difficult first half that saw sites mothballed, and revenues and profits drop sharply.

The Runcorn-based textile service provider said it mothballed its entire hotel, restaurant and catering department during the national lockdown period, which also saw revenues drop by 34.7% in the six months to June 30.

A £15.2m profit before tax in June 2019 turned into an £18.6m loss.

The firm's workwear department continued to operate throughout lockdown - with 12% reduction in volume in April, steadily improving to 6% in August.

Customer retention levels were 93.8% at the end of July.

The majority of staff were furloughed during the period, with others accepting a temporary 10% salary reduction.

Peter Egan, CEO, said: "Our performance during the period reflects the challenging market conditions inflicted on the business by COVID-19 following a strong start to the year.

"The management team have been highly active in addressing the impact, by taking decisive action to ensure the long-term preservation of the business, shoring up the Group's finances and mothballing sites to ensure that JSG is well placed to react quickly as end markets continue to recover.