CHEF Raymond Blanc has enlisted the help of lawyers after being denied a payout by the insurer Hiscox, it has been reported.

Mr Blanc, whose empire includes Le Manoir at Great Milton and Brasserie Blanc in Jericho, was forced to close all 37 of his pubs and restaurants, employing more than 1,400 staff, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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He told the Sunday Times that he took out business interruption insurance from Hiscox that covers damage caused by 'an occurrence of any human infection or... contagious disease'.

However, the paper reported, the company has said its policies were not 'designed or priced to cover the extraordinary circumstances' during the coronavirus outbreak.