Town loses another pub

Yet another Stafford pub has closed and has been put on the market by its owners. Signs saying "closed until further notice" have gone up at the Morris Man in Alliss Close, off Weston Road.

The Firkin pub in Eastgate Street in the town centre is also currently closed. The Morris Man was until recently being run by licensee Malcolm Matthews who could not be contacted for comment.

Solihull-based Enterprise Inns are advertising the leasehold for sale for £60,000.

The modern detached pub has a bar which seats 70 and lounge/restaurant also seating 70 and a catering kitchen. There is also a rear beer garden.

Enterprise Inns is considering selling the lease on a flexible purchase scheme to help the new owner who would need to purchase more than a 50 per cent stake in the business and purchase the remaining stake over a period of time to be negotiated.

No one was available for comment at the Firkin, formerly The Forester, about whether it is being refurbished or has closed permanently. It is owned by Icon Leisure Ltd which also runs Esprei in Martin Street, Stafford.

Several other pubs in the Stafford area have closed this year including the Hogshead in Victoria Square which still remains shut.

The Lamb Inn in Broad Eye also remains empty since closing in January along with the Rifleman pub in Common Road, which shut in February.

The Rifleman's lease has also been put on the market by Punch Taverns for £17,325. Punch also owns The Lamb.

Heart of Staffordshire Campaign for Real Ale branch spokesman Dave Tomkinson said: "This year has been the worst I have seen for pub closures.

"We are seeing an acceleration in closures locally and nationally.

"There is no one reason for the closures. It is a combination of factors including the credit crunch which means people are not going to the pub as much, the smoking ban which has hit some pubs hard, high rents and prices for beer from the pub companies, cheap beer being sold at supermarkets and the 4p increase in tax on beer in the last budget which has translated to 20p extra a pint in pubs."

Mr Tomkinson said that the bad harvest last year had seen barley and hops prices rocket and rising petrol prices had also added to problems.

"For our beer festival we are only offering beers that have been brewed within a 30-mile radius of Stafford to support the Camra LocAle campaign," he added.

* The new Stafford Beer Festival opens tonight at the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford.

The Heart of Staffordshire branch is running the event which is open from 6pm to 11pm tonight, and from 12 noon to 4.30pm and 6pm to 11pm on Friday and Saturday.