London, July 26 (TIWN) The number of UK restaurants falling into insolvency has increased by more than 60 per cent in the past year amid worker shortages and the cost of living crisis, which has forced customers to cut back on spending, media reports said.

New data from the accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young showed that 1,406 restaurants in the UK closed their doors in the 12 months up to May, up 64 per cent as compared to the previous year, The Guardian reported.  In proportional terms, that is an even larger increase in closures than for the wider hospitality industry, which saw a 56 per cent rise in insolvencies over the same period.