A PUB'S owners have reassured customers they are still open despite the business going up for sale.

The doors remain open at The Paul Pry in The Butts as staff said they will be here for the foreseeable future after it went on the market.

Customers were confused thinking the pub had already closed or reopened under new management 

However, Bethany O'Neill, assistant manager at The Paul Pry, said while there has been some interest and offers made since The Paul Pry went up for sale, the Pope family are still in charge and "would not just up and leave without saying goodbye".

She said: "The Pope family has been running The Paul Pry since 2017. 

"I think it's common knowledge now that the pub is up for sale, but I think we need to clear things up. 

"Obviously we have had lots of support and people have said that it's a shame or it's disappointing to hear, but most understand why it has happened. 

"Last Saturday I had five different people come up and ask either, when we reopened or when we are going to reopen or who is the new owner and I think there is just a lack of clarity at the moment."

The decision to sell The Paul Pry was made by the Pope family after landlord Alex Pope died suddenly in January.

Miss O'Neill continued: "The pub is up for sale but we are not going anywhere, anytime soon and we will continue to run it until it's sold.

"On a more personal level, we have a lot of loyal customers and we want to say a proper goodbye when the time comes. 

"We might have a leaving do and we would have announced it on social media. 

"We are encouraging any potential buyers to consider keeping the staff, so hopefully the staff will be able to stay on.

"We just want to make sure that we are handing the pub over to the right buyers, someone who understands what we have built and created, someone to pass the baton on to."

The pub is listed on Rightmove for £495,000 and is being sold through the estate agent Sidney Philips.