THE landlady of a popular Ramsbottom pub has decided not to renew her contract amid the pressures of the pandemic.

Due to rising business costs, and a lack of trade, Samantha Gibbs, who runs The Major has said her family would no longer be running the Bolton Street pub, to avoid running into debt.

She said online: “It is with the heaviest of hearts we are letting you know we have decided not to go ahead with the renewal of our contract for the pub. Trade has been extremely quiet with only a few spikes here and there which doesn’t cover the £10k needed to open the doors.”

Later she added: “After the last lockdown we were very confident things would be alright, but as the weeks went on, things didn’t get any better.

“It’s been down to a variety of things, with costs going up at the moment, we need about £10,000 just to keep the doors open, which means paying staff, bills, rent, business rates, insurance, and so many other things."

Earlier this year Samantha, who has been landlady at The Major since 2019, faced a battle of her lease renewal with the pub's owners, Stonegate, which she won.

She also said: "What’s worse is that people still don’t want to come out to the pub as much, so trade has been badly hit and it’s been hard to find staff.”

Her accountant had also told her that the pub could end up being £15,000 in debt.

She added: “Obviously, it’s a painful decision but I think its for the best in the long run.

“It’s been very hard for pubs across the country at the moment, and in Ramsbottom we’re facing growing competition from new bars.

“People working in pubs feel scared because there are so many great establishments going under.

“Pubs are not just about drinking, they’re critical for the community because they bring people together, so I’m very worried about what happens next for the industry.”