A gardener is pleased that he will be able to get back to work tomorrow.

He says the pandemic restrictions have hit him hard.

Mark Thomas, a self-employed gardener from Ramsey, said the restrictions have been ’unfair’ to those in jobs where social distancing regulations can be followed.

While gardeners were banned form working, the UK allowed horticulture workers to continue working if they are able to do so safely.

Mr Thomas has been working as a gardener for 11 years with three major clients. Before Covid-19, he worked for two clients twice a week and the other once a week.

He said: ’I [now] haven’t got any money left, but I’m in a reasonable position as I have some savings. Other gardeners out there have nothing and cannot feed their families. If I didn’t have these savings I’d be in the same boat.’

He applied for Covid-19 financial allowance, but has not received a reply in weeks.

’I understand they must be inundated, but there will be people who are completely beside themselves,’ he said.

On Friday (April 17) Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan announced that the Manx government will commence a ’carefully phased and structured return to work’ plan this Friday for some sectors, including construction, associated trades and horticulture.

’We’ll just wait and see,’ Mr Thomas said. ’If I go back to work on Monday that would be excellent, but it has still been a long wait.’

He believes the situation has been ’one rule for one and one rule for another’ as he has watched greenkeepers tend golf courses and corporate groundsmen mowing lawns.

’I think that’s grossly unfair,’ the father-of-two said.

’I work by myself and have never been within 200 yards of anybody while working. Why they’re preventing me from working is beyond me. It’s a big brush response because they want people to be safe,’ he said.