Rail strikes are seriously affecting trade - according to Weymouth businesses located near the station.

Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF have affected Weymouth-Waterloo (South Western Railway) and Weymouth-Bristol (Great Western Railway) services.

It's part of a long and bitter dispute between the unions and trains operators over pay, jobs and working conditions. 

The majority of the network in Dorset including Weymouth was closed on Saturday,. Another strike is set for today with no trains running again in the county.

Businesses located in the area around Weymouth station say they rely on rail passengers for a significant amount of business, and that strikes have cost them thousands of pounds.

John Ritchie, the owner of Books Afloat in Park Street said: "I am not happy with them. They are costing a lot of trade and a lot of business around the station.

"Over the past 12 months because of strikes, I have probably lost £2,000. I have been here for 40 years and the strikes are certainly affecting business."

Manu Radharam owns the Park Corner Convenience Store across from the train station. He has found that on strike days there is a noticeable difference, particularly at the weekend.

He said: "These people only think about themselves and not the neighbourhood around the train station that is reliant on it for business - especially at the weekend when we get the most people. When I came in today I saw the shop was quiet so I went to the train station to check if there were strikes. 

"They are happening every two weeks. As a tourist location, we rely on transportation and tourism. We would like this to be solved quickly.

"I hope it doesn't go on for so long. We rely on this so much."

The Railway Tavern on Queen Street, as the name suggests, is another business that relies on train users.

The pub is part of the Clifton Hotel, and the landlady Linda Farwell says that she has had cancellations as a result of the strikes.

Mrs Farwell said: "We have had guests who booked months in advance cancel.

"On strike days I would say 50% of our hotel guests are affected.

"In the tavern, we would usually have large groups coming in for a drink but today (Saturday, September 30) we are almost empty."

The next strike affecting Weymouth is on Wednesday, October 4.

Customers are advised to only travel if absolutely necessary and should check their entire journey before travelling, as other operators will also be affected.