Licensee struggling to give her pub away

A licensee is so desperate to leave her pub that she is willing to give it away - but still nobody was taken it on

Lynda Lowe wants to leave the Cross Keys in Ockbrook, Derbyshire, due to ill health and stands to lose thousands of pounds if someone does eventually agree to take on the Punch Taverns lease.

She decided to offer the pub as a freebie after attempts to sell the seven-year lease for £35,000 ended in failure.

"I am desperate to get my life back" said Lynda, "but there is so much negative publicity about the state of the pub trade that people are too scared to take the pub on."

The licensee first put the pub - which she has run for three years - on the market in the summer of 2007 but, with 36 pubs a week are closing, potential buyers have become concerned that the business cannot make money.

"By offering it for free, even if business is slow at first the new owners are certain to make a profit - it's a win win situation really" she said.

"Most of my time here has been really enjoyable, but not being able to sell up is proving really stressful and is just adding to my health problems."