The pub chain that owns a landmark city centre pub wants to reopen it as soon as possible.

Historic Jacob’s Well has once again shut its doors to drinkers, but this time a board has gone up outside looking for someone new to take it on.

Spirit Pub Company said the closure was only temporary after the previous tenants took the decision to close.

Now the company says it is looking for someone else to step in quickly to run it until a more permanent manager can be found.

The ancient pub, once a popular watering hole among city centre office workers, also closed last year but only for a short period.

Some postings on internet forums mourn the pub’s passing, blaming cheap supermarket alcohol, while others state that it was only a matter of time because of a lack of customers even on what traditionally should have been busy nights.

Bradford CAMRA has been taking up the fight to stop the decline of the city centre’s pubs for years, keeping watch over the latest closures – of which Jacob’s Well is one, albeit temporary.

CAMRA member and former pub landlord Bill Arnold said although it was disappointing to see Jacob’s Well shut it was not a surprise.

“It’s hard for pub managers nowadays. Their hands are tied to the pub company they are with which means they are in a no-win situation. They work long hours for what basically works out as minimum wage. I’d like to see pub chains sell off more pubs and turn them over to become freehouses then at least we might see more pubs have a fighting chance at staying open, selling what they want and prices they set and can make a decent living from.”

A spokesman at Spirit Pub Company said: “Our priority is to reopen the Jacob’s Well as soon as possible with a temporary operator while we recruit a permanent partner. The previous tenant has taken the decision to close the pub.”

Any entrepreneurial readers interested in taking on Jacob’s Well can call Spirit on 0844 848 3279.