Residents' dismay at empty pubs

Locals voiced shock after finding the once popular King William on Liverpool Road, Platt Bridge boarded up.

It means that there are now two empty and eyesore watering holes - the other being the Queen’s Arms - within yards of each other in the area.

One onlooker said: “Well, this is another blow. We already have the Queen’s Arms shut and now this.

“It’s a sad state of affairs. I don’t want this becoming another ruin in the town, something that becomes a magnet for vandals and looks awful for years.

“I hope a new owner or landlord can be found for it quickly too.”

The King William was the subject of controversy only last spring when magistrates forced its temporary closure after a surprise visit by environmental health officers found a rat infestation.

Officers discovered rodent droppings throughout the premises and material which had evidence of being gnawed by such creatures.

It was also found that preventative measures to stop rodents entering the building were inadequate.

Waste food along with pooling water in an external yard were also found in the inspection and the standard of cleaning in the property was described as being “very poor” throughout.

The pub was immediately served with a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice which stopped it from operating as a food business until the health risk had been removed.

But just days later the owners successfully applied for the order to be lifted by justices and it re-opened.

The King William used to be a Tetley pub, but a spokesman for Carlsberg-Tetley said that it had not been in their ownership for some time and had more recently been in private hands.