A restaurant in Dorchester town centre has made the 'heart-breaking' decision to close days before Christmas due to rising costs.

Found, on Trinity Street, has announced that it will be closing its doors for good on Monday, December 23. It has been trading for 18 months.

Its owners say it is the 'hardest, saddest and most stressful decision' they have ever had to make, but that they were left with no choice due to rising costs and the economy.

In a statement the owners said: "We are absolutely devastated to share that Found will be closing its doors from Monday, December 23. Our decision to close our restaurant has been the hardest, saddest and most stressful decision Neal and I have had to make, we have gone over and over what we could do to avoid this happening.

"As you all know, the rising costs and the current economy are making it increasingly difficult to run a small business like ours. These pressures have left us with no choice but to close.

"Our time has been cut short just as we were getting somewhere but we are leaving very proud of what we have accomplished in the 18 months we have been open. This would not have been possible without our team - who have been with us from the day we opened - our amazing suppliers and of course our customers all of which have kept us going this far and made this decision all the more heart-breaking.

"Thank you all for being part of Found, we hope to see you all one last time over the next few weeks lots of love, Neal & Catriona."

The Echo has reached out to the owners for further comment.

Reacting on social media, members of the public were saddened by the news, and sharing well wishes for the business owners.

The business offered bistro-sharing plates with a focus on locally sourced ingredients, foraging and local farmers, growers, and suppliers within Dorset.

Found is the sister company of Found & Fine, a catering service.