Reasons behind town centre pub closure revealed

The George pub in Cleckheaton has closed down. Picture by Amanda Stead.

Former co-owner Simon Pawson said the reason The George in Cleckheaton is now boarded up is because of a drop off in trade and the possibility of increasing rent prices.

But he also claimed the pub, in Parkside, has been a scapegoat for incidents caused by troublemakers in the town.

“There has been a lot of issues The George has been blamed for,” said Simon.

“Those people will go somewhere else and they will get the problems. We were the only ones that employed security.

“The trade in Cleckheaton has dropped off significantly. We just decided we would close the business.”

As the pub’s freehold has gone up for sale, Simon said he has pulled his final pint, opting for a new IT job, while old business partner Sarah Ineson will stay  on at the New Packhorse in Moorside.

“We used to really enjoy it. We owned it for a number of years. It is sad in a way, but I’m looking forward to a new challenge. It will be nice to do nine-to-five,” he added.