The owners of an iconic independent pub said "the core of the city is being ripped out" after its lease hasn't been renewed.
The Liverpool, on James Street in the city centre, will close in April this year when their current lease comes to an end and is not renewed by the Stonegate Group - a company that owns and runs hundreds of pubs across the country. The pub has been operated by the same family for 30 years since former owner Val Smith took over with her late husband Peter in the early 1990s.
The pub has been operated by Val's daughters Paula Billingsley and Yvonne Taylor since their mum retired in 2019. The family spoke to the ECHO in February 2020 after the pub had undergone a £25,000 makeover - but weeks later they were forced to close its doors when the country was plunged into the first covid lockdown.
