The chef at a restaurant whose post about 47 no shows on Easter Sunday went national says he has been inundated with phone calls from other businesses in a similar situation.

Paul James, owner of CJ’s At the Sanctuary in Budock Water, made national headlines this month when he revealed how many bookings had failed to turn up at his restaurant on April 9.

Since his story was featured in the national press and TV, Paul says he has been inundated with calls from other types of businesses suffering the same problem.

In a post on Facebook he said businesses were “sick and tired” of people booking and not turning up for their appointment.

“I was inundated with phone calls from lots of other different businesses whether it be hairdressers, taxi drivers MOT test centres motorbike fixit shops, mechanics that are saying they’re sick and tired of people booking and then not turning up for their appointment,” he said.

“Whether it be a clutch rebuild or a motorcycle which should be four hours and then there’s a no show. Or a taxi driver who’s had six no shows on one particular day. One was a 20 mile round trip to find the guy had got the bus instead.”

He said the problem was not just a loss of revenue it’s the waste of food at the end of the day because they hadn’t sold it, or the electric bills because of the heating and the staffing they’d put on to cater for these numbers which weren’t needed.

“I’m really becoming an advocate,” he said. “It’s really becoming a side passion of mine to make sure people are cancelling their bookings. It’s very simple to pick up a phone and cancel as it is to make the booking originally.”

He added: “Let’s make headway and make people aware that it is just not acceptable to not show up for a reservation.”