'EVERY pub in Darwen is struggling to pay the bills', according to a landlord who is walking away after 12 years over a £1,000 a week rent.

Andy Harding, 45, has run the Blackhorse Hotel, Redearth Road, with partner Mick Fallon, 46, since 1998.

The pub has become known as a home for live music acts, but the pair have handed in their notice to Scottish and Newcastle Brewery.

“We are a little backstreet pub but our rent is £1,075 a week,” said Andy.

“It’s so high because we’re not tied into any chain and can serve what we like, and we’ve got into debt because we just can’t pay it with all the other bills such as water, electricity and so on.

“The average price of a pint is about £2, so you have to put quite a lot of pints on the bar to pay.”

The pair said the smoking ban, brought in during 2007, the recession, and the fact they are a couple, have had an impact on the business.

Andy added: “The smoking ban is a real farce - it’s put a lot of people off coming in - and the recession’s had a big impact. People are either not coming in as much or not drinking as much.

“We’re also two gay men running a pub, and some people won’t come in because of that.

“It’s such as shame to leave, but the pub game is not a good place to be at the moment.

“I’d say that every pub in this area is struggling to pay bills.

“We’ve handed our notice in, and are hoping to develop our microbrewery now.”

The pub is now listed for lease with Scottish and Newcastle Brewery.

A spokeswoman for Scottish and Newcastle said: “We’ve had an excellent working relationship with the licencees under a rental agreement, but they have declined to be tied into the sale of drinks with us, and this has made it difficult to provide the usual level of support for this type of operation.

“We are now hoping to let the pub again.”