A PERMANENT closure has been announced for a popular Freshwater cafe restaurant - after warning customers it was "going under".

Petesaria, on School Green Road in Freshwater, has overwhelming "excellent" ratings on TripAdvisor where it scores 4.5 overall, and serves British and Chinese cuisine.

The business is closing at the end of the year.

A statement said: "To all our beloved customers and friends, it is with the deepest regret that we inform you that Petesaria will be closing its doors permanently at 9pm on Saturday 24th December."

It adds: "Cath and Mike at Petesaria will carry on their daytime operations till the end of December.

"Unfortunately due to the substantial increase in our overheads it is no longer viable to continue trading.

"We are extremely proud of all that we have accomplished in the past years and could not be more thankful to those who have believed in us.

"It has been our sincere honour to serve our patrons for the last glorious three and half years and we have enjoyed sharing so many special occasions and life events.

"We thank all our customers for their loyalty and for choosing Petesaria for dining and birthdays, anniversaries and other special celebrations."

A post earlier this week announced: "It is with great regret and with saddened hearts that we have to forwarn you all that Petesaria is going under.

"This means that Cath and Mike at Petesaria will no longer be the hub of community, that we've been referred to.

"We will be open for the rest of this year, but 2023 looks bleak. Cath and Mike will do everything in our power to keep this place open, we'll try our best, we love you all."

In recent weeks, several Isle of Wight eateries have announced closures.