Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A well-known restaurant in a popular seaside town has announced it will no longer take bookings during the holidays after being left out of pocket by no-show diners. The Three Pilchards Inn in Polperro in South East Cornwall said the decision to no longer accept phone and online bookings during busy periods comes after dozens of customers failed to turn up. In a post on its Facebook page, the restaurant explained that between last minute cancellations for a total of about 20 people and a dozen no-shows over the four-day Easter weekend, some 50 customers had let them down. The restaurant said it is a minority of guests who either cancel at the last second or don't even bother turning up, but it is ruining it for the majority of customers who turn up when they say they will and pay what they owe. In their Facebook message, the Three Pilchards Inn said: "Very sad to say that once again the minority has ruined it for the majority and we have had multitudes of abuse of our booking system over this latest school holiday and bank holiday weekend. This weekend alone we have had a few tables booked with last minute cancellations equalling more than 20 guests. In addition to this we have had over half a dozen no shows which has equated to over 50 guests lost over this weekend alone." Read about and keep up with our Ban the Boards campaign to rid Cornwall of the scourge of cheap, throwaway bodyboards here or go to www.cornwalllive.com/all-about/ban-the-boards They added: "As you can imagine, times are much harder for most at the moment, and businesses are feeling the brunt more than ever. We cannot afford to take these kinds of losses over a period of time where we really need to be recouping some much needed winter losses." The restaurant said it will review its decision over the next month or so but added: "We categorically will not be taking further bookings for school holidays and bank holidays. Please do not send requests for these times in light of this." Many people have commented below the post and some asked why staff don't take a deposit or card details with bookings as a deterrent to no-shows. Anne Blowers shared her own experience in the hospitality trade, adding: "That's a tough one. I've been there. Non refundable deposits are the only way, with cancellations only up to 48 hours before the date. Conversely, first come, first served can be chaotic. "I had to change to people ordering and paying at the till, due to people walking out after their meal. For Christmas bookings, full payment up front secured the booking. With meal choices. No show, hard luck." Geoffrey Young suggested a different approach: "Just take card number on booking and then warn if no show a certain percentage will be taken for admin costs. Tourists just seem to think they have a right to mess people about when they come on holiday." The Three Pilchards Inn team said: "A deposit system won't work for us. It's basically a full time job for someone doing that alone. There are complications on the till with how much deposits have been left per person when party sizes change, when people want to split bills, etc, the list goes on. "Plus it'll lead to other complications with people being late for tables (which has happened a lot) and us not being able to move down the waiting list as we are already withholding people's money. It really isn't worth the extra aggro." Chantell Hodgson also commented on the Facebook post from the restaurant. She said: "It's the same all over Cornwall. People book multiple restaurants and decide where they fancy on the day. I remember asking for a table in a restaurant (not in Polperro) that was empty and they said they had no tables as were fully booked. "I can guarantee half would have been no-shows. Some people are just not interested in how their actions affect others, such a shame for those of us who do." ⚠️ Want the latest Cornwall breaking news and top stories first? Click here to join CornwallLive on WhatsAppand we'll send breaking news and top stories directly to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice⚠️