ANOTHER Hereford pub has shut its doors for the foreseeable future with the tenant saying it no longer made any money.

The Booth Hall in East Street closed its doors last Sunday.

Martyn Hathaway, from The Number Works Pub Company, decided to close the pub before his lease finished at the end of February.

He partly blamed the closure on the delay in opening the passageway which led to the pub from the High Town.

It has been closed since a fire ripped through the former River Island and Card Factory stores in October 2010.

Mr Hathaway said: "We were always hoping the alleyway was going to be opened back up. For the last two years all we had were promises it was going to be re-opened."

He previously ran the Old Market Inn but had to leave to make way for the Old Market Shopping Centre.

Mr Hathaway, who ran The Booth for two years, said: "This side of town has been struggling since the complex. We thought people would go over there, try the new restaurants and filter back to the pubs this side of town.

"Unfortunately I don't think it has happened that way."

He said he believed empty shops in the High Town did not encourage people across.

He runs 13 other pubs, including The Spread Eagle in King Street and The Wye Inn in Holme Lacy Road.

Mr Hathaway said The Spread is doing well, but believes this is due to its proximity to The Cathedral.

He said he has managed to move most of The Booth staff to his other pubs.

Enterprise Inns plc owns The Booth Hall and has been asked for a comment.

Spokesman for Herefordshire Council, Richard Gallagher, said: "We are sorry to hear this long established business is due to cease trading.

"Booth Hall Passage is an adopted highway for pedestrians. Therefore there is a duty of care on the council to make the area safe for pedestrians walking by. The passage has been closed due to the catastrophic damage to the buildings through which it passes. The owner of those buildings has completed some stabilisation works.

"The Section 215 Notice pertaining to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 was formally served on the owner of the fire damaged buildings on Friday 24 October. The owner has 80 days to comply with the notice after it took effect on Tuesday, December 2.

"Until the fire damaged buildings are made safe it is not possible to reopen the passageway."