A POPULAR Italian restaurant has announced it is to close in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. 

Paisley eatery La Banca has suspended sit-in service for the foreseeable future, but will ramp up its takeaway and delivery options instead. 

It comes as business across Renfrewshire get set to take unprecedented measures to deal with the outbreak of Covid-19, which has so far infected 153 people in Scotland. 

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Rachel Lawson, manager of the Neilston Road restaurant, said: “The health and safety of our customers and staff are paramount.

"As restaurants, pubs and shops closedown throughout Europe in response to the Coronavirus we think it wise to act now, rather than possibly regret not doing so later.

"Our restaurant is normally very busy so there is no way we can keep clients more than two metres away from each other.

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"We will ramp up our takeaway and delivery service so people will still be able to order food. The difference will be that instead of customers coming to us, we will come to them.

"Our social media will have the menu and contact numbers on it and we also hope to have a JUST EAT option available shortly.

"If anyone has any queries please contact myself by email admin@labancapaisley.co.uk or via our social media."