A LANDMARK pub in Poole closed down because it was no longer economic to run, its owners have revealed.

The Dorset Knob in Alder Road, Parkstone, closed its doors for the last time on June 17 and has been boarded up ever since.

Liz Abraham, group head of property for Blandford-based brewers Hall and Woodhouse, said: “It is no longer viable. We’ve had a succession of tenants in the property and none of them has succeeded. It’s not making an economic wage and we don’t think it’s a pub of the future.”

She added that there were many reasons for the decline in the pub trade.

“The smoking ban did make a difference, but we’re faring a lot better than many of the larger groups. We try very hard to keep things viable.”

Hall and Woodhouse has tried to sell the premises as a pub, but has had no interest. Planners have ruled out building houses or flats on the site, and the owners are going through other possible uses with them.

Last year the Campaign for Real Ale warned that the rate of pub closure in Britain had risen from 12 to 18 a week, blaming increased duty and the escalating cost of beer.

The Talbot pub in Winton also closed on July 1 after its landlady handed back the keys, saying there were not enough customers to cover overheads and make it profitable.

Wallisdown resident Jerry Fisher, said: “All the local pubs seem to be disappearing.

“My personal view is that it’s because of the smoking ban.”