Welwyn Hatfield has experienced a drop-off in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the district since the pandemic.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reveal that compared to 2019 there are 250 fewer SME's in Welwyn Hatfield - a decrease of 4.81 per cent over the last five years.

In total, there are 4,945 SMEs in the borough, down on the 5,195 recorded pre-pandemic.

Neighbouring St Albans suffered a steeper drop in the number of SMEs, with a fall of 7.74 per cent over the same time period.

This is worse than most of Hertfordshire, with Stevenage seeing a fall of just three per cent and Watford dropping by less than one per cent.

The East of England as a whole ranks second-bottom nationally for SMEs, with 2,225 fewer businesses than in 2019.

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The data also looks at employment rates in the area, with Welwyn Hatfield finishing bottom of the list for job growth.

A drop off of 16.02 per cent has been recorded since the pandemic - greater than anywhere else in the country.

An SME is defined by the government as a business with fewer than 250 staff and an annual turnover of less than £50m.