Haunted pub landlords call it a day (VIDEO)

LANDLORDS hailed for their work to restore an historic pub to its former glory are to leave after two years.

Licensees Neil Crisp and Neil Cox re-opened the 400-year-old The Leopard in Burslem and brought it to international attention with a visit from Living TV's Most Haunted crew in November last year.

The pub made national headlines when Potteries superstar and amateur paranormal investigator Robbie Williams attended a seance at the famously haunted building earlier this month.

Now the pair say they are ready to pass on the job of restoring the building, which was once a meeting place for Josiah Wedgwood and James Brindley, who built the Trent and Mersey canal.

But they add that the new leaseholders will need to be able to handle some bumps in the night.

The 23-year rolling lease is on the market for £60,000.

Mr Cox said: "It's fantastic to see the pub return to its former popularity and we're definitely proud of what we've achieved here. But we've worked very hard for two years and are ready to downsize and look for a smaller pub, hopefully still in Stoke-on-Trent.

"The pub was in a real state at first, but now we have home-cooked food, lots of events and historical interest. I think the next landlords will want to continue what we've started because it's working really well.

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Video: The Leopard, Burslem's haunted hotel

"I would warn them, though, that there can be some bumps in the night, and when I'm locking up on my own I have heard some noises and don't hang around!"

Work started in April on a £50,000 project to restore the upper floors of the pub and transform them into historical set pieces to attract historians and ghost hunters.

But Mr Cox and Mr Crisp have now put their lease on the market and say they have had a handful of inquiries.

They have promised to stay until new landlords are found.

A spokesman for Enterprise Inns, which owns the pub, said: "The landlords in The Leopard at the moment are very highly regarded by Enterprise."

Stoke-on-Trent historian and Sentinel columnist, Fred Hughes, said Mr Cox and Mr Crisp's efforts to restore the pub have had the knock-on effect of increasing Burslem's profile.

He said: "The current landlords have been excellent promoters of The Leopard and therefore of Burslem, and they have blown a breath of fresh air through the town.

"Their work on the pub has brought its historical importance to the public's attention and I hope the new leaseholder builds on this tradition."