Even Nando's closes as Huddersfield becomes eerie snow covered ghost town

Huddersfield resembled a ghost town on Thursday with dozens of businesses staying shut or closing early.

Among the victims of the freezing weather were some big names with Nando’s, the popular Afro-Portuguese chain restaurant on John William Street closed with a notice in the window saying: “We apologise but we are unable to open today. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but our team’s safety and wellbeing is paramount.”

And the NatWest bank in Market Place was forced to shut early at 4pm with the manager struggling to affix the notice explaining the decision to the window so powerful were the gusts of the wind whipping through the town.

Ryan’s newsagents in Imperial Arcade was shut and many more, particularly small independents, decided not to open with many businesses on Bradford Road, Fartown, also shut.

And The University of Huddersfield posted that its “library (and the 24-hour computer labs) will remain closed on Friday March 2 and all weekend.

“We will open again on Monday March 5.”

Kirklees councillor Andrew Cooper, who represents the town centre, said: “I’m pleased to see businesses such as the Merrie England chain in the town centre opening albeit with a skeleton staff and Marks and Spencer opening too.”