Pub shut again as licensee sought

A north Shropshire pub has closed its doors just a couple of months after reopening, it was confirmed today.

Punch Taverns, owner of The Railway in Whitchurch, say the pub is currently closed while they look to recruit a new licensee, despite only reopening in November.

They could not confirm exactly when the pub had closed.

Sarah Perrins, spokeswoman for Punch Taverns, said: "I can confirm that The Railway is temporarily closed while we recruit a new licensee to operate the pub.

"We are currently talking to a number of interested parties and hope to reopen the site shortly."

Whitchurch business leaders said it was "a sign of the times".

Linda Bate, chairman, of the Whitchurch Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said: "Pubs are closing left, right and centre. But it's a nice pub, it's a big pub to look at from the outside.

"Why it closed and how long it's been closed, I don't know."

Councillor Alan Chesters, mayor of Whitchurch, said it used to be an extremely successful pub and he was sad to see it closed.

He added: "I think it's symptomatic in the pub business generally, everywhere.

"I don't know the ins and outs of that particular hostelry but it seems to be happening everywhere not just there."