The recent heatwave has caused tradespeople to call off jobs early.

This is according to a recent poll by IronmongeryDirect, which found that almost 40% of respondents have been prevented from completing a job by the hot weather.

The Ironmongery supplier surveyed 1000 customers and social media followers, who it says are mostly sole traders and small business owners.

IronmongeryDirect says that, as a lot of these tradespeople are self-employed, they will have lost money and may have had their reputations hit by leaving jobs undone.

However, the hot summer has not been all bad news. A quarter of respondents said they are being asked to install more swimming pools, and half have noticed a higher demand for outdoor decking.

Tradespeople have been advised by the Met Office about the precautions they can take while the heatwave continues. It recommends to either stay out of the sun, or avoid the strongest sunshine hours which are between 11am and 3pm.