The owner of JD Wetherspoon has addressed rumours that The Powder Monkey in Exmouth and the rest of the chain's pubs across the UK could reopen in June.

The reopening of Wetherspoon pubs has been the subject of much media speculation over the last few days.

Today the pub chain's owner, Tim Martin, has addressed the rumours and explained the company's plan to open in June, if the Government permits pubs to do so.

Mr Martin told Nub News that for 'planning purposes' the company is readying itself for a June opening but it will abide by the Government's restrictions and that, 'we don't know any more than anyone else'.

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "Wetherspoon has no hotline to the government as to when pubs might be permitted to reopen and we doubt if the government itself has yet made a decision on this.

"Like all companies we are trying to make a plan for the future and are guessing that they may be allowed to reopen in late June, around three months after they closed.

"However, that is just an estimate and may prove to be entirely incorrect.

"Wetherspoon, like all pub companies, closed its doors when ordered to do so by the government – and will only reopen when it is permitted to do so."

Wetherspoon's owner Tim Martin told Nub News: "It's total and complete cobblers (report that Wetherspoon might reopen in June), we have no insight whatsoever as to when pubs might reopen and no information from, or hotline to, the government.

"We've made an assumption, just for planning purposes, that pubs MIGHT be allowed to open in late June- but we don't know any more than anyone else."