Landlord's tenancy terminated at The White Horse pub Cromer

Paul Vials took over The White Horse in Cromer in December last year, spending thousands to reopen the pub after it had been left empty for months.

The pub reopened at the start of this month, but Mr Vials is now being forced to leave this week after having his tenancy terminated by pub group Stonegate.

The White Horse pub in West Street, Cromer (Image: Adam Barker)

“I feel I’ve been used by Stonegate to get this pub up and running,” Mr Vials, who will leave The White Horse this Thursday (February 15), said.

“I’ve gone into it with good faith and now they’ve pulled the rug from underneath me.

“I’ve invested time, energy and money into this and now my livelihood has been ruined.

“I’ve done nothing wrong whatsoever.

“Stonegate live in ivory towers like glorified estate agents. All that matters to them is money.

“They don’t care about the people who run their pubs and the local communities they serve.”

Mr Vials took over The White Horse from former landlady Annie Kemp.

Miss Kemp had run the West Street pub for 18 years before leaving in October last year, claiming Stonegate wanted to increase her rent by £16,000 per year.

READ MORE: Landlady 'heartbroken' to leave pub of 18 years after £16k rent rise

Annie Kemp ran The White Horse for 18 years before leaving in October last year (Image: Adam Barker)

The White Horse is owned by Stonegate Group - the largest pub company in the UK, with more than 4,500 sites. 

Stonegate has said Mr Vials' tenancy was only temporary and new owners are set to reopen the pub this week.

A spokesperson for Stonegate said: “The White Horse is due to open this week with new operators Jay and Kelly Ali, following a short spell on a temporary tenancy.

"Jay and Kelly are well known in the area and are looking forward to welcoming the community back to the pub.”