HOTEL bosses say they treat abuse against staff with the 'utmost seriousness' after a man was sentenced for harassment.

Joshua Wilcock was convicted of two public order offences after he subjected one member of staff at the Holiday Inn Express in Barrow to homophobic abuse and swore at other workers.

A court sentenced Wilcock, of Duke Street in Barrow, to a 12-week community order compelling him to complete a curfew between 4pm and 7am each day.

The sentence was uplifted by eight weeks due to the homophobic nature.

In reaction, a spokesperson for Holiday Inn Express in Barrow said: “At Holiday Inn Express Barrow-in-Furness the welfare of our staff is of course the most important part of our role as an employer.

"Abuse of any kind towards our staff will be handled with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity in line with our company wellbeing policies to protect our valued team members at all times.”