A WINCHESTER pub couple have 'abandoned' the hostelry with unpaid rent, according to the owners.

The Percy Hobbs at Morn Hill was repossessed by Mitchells & Butlers on January 11, according to a notice on the door.

The notice said the re-possession was due to "unpaid rent and abandonment."

The former tenants Simon and Angela Goulding were unavailable for comment.

It is another example of the difficulties facing the pub industry during the recession.

Mr and Mrs Goulding took over in November 2008 amid much optimism. They had run the award-winning Thomas Tripp in Christchurch for 17 years.

Mr Goulding told the Hampshire Chronicle: "If people want to come in for a burger and chips, we're fine with that. What sets us apart from some other pubs is that the burger and the chips will be made fresh on the premises."

He added that the Intech Centre and hotel under construction nearby would boost their trade.

A spokesman for Mitchells & Butlers said: "Unfortunately the company was forced to take possession of the pub on 11 January 2010 due to unpaid rent and the pub being abandoned by the former tenant. This follows several months of the company supporting the tenant by providing a number of concessions.

"This is an unfortunate circumstance following several months of support and assistance by the company. We are in the process of recruiting a new tenant to take on the pub and will be working hard to support them in re-opening the pub for trade as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate the patience of local customers at this time and can assure them that the pub will reopen in the near future."

In July 2009, the British Beer and Pub Association said the number of closures in the region was running at almost eight a week. The off-licence trade was dealt a massive blow by the collapse of First Quench and brands including Threshers, Victoria Wine and Bottoms Up at the end of last year.

Insolvency expert Julie Palmer, regional partner with Begbies Traynor, forecasts a steady increase in the number of pubs facing last orders when industry figures for the second half of 2009 are released.

She said; "Licensed trades and the hospitality industry in general are facing unprecedented difficulties as customers rein in their spending, supermarkets slash the price of alcohol and the Government presses ahead with hefty business rate and duty increases."

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