Landlady of The George Hotel in Chatteris is leaving

Diane Maher, who has been the landlady of the Grade II-listed George Hotel in Chatteris for the past five years, described her decision to go as "hard" but added she felt the time is right.

She has been associated with the pub for the past 12 years, having worked as a barmaid before stepping up as pub manager under the previous landlord, Robbie Lyons.

Robbie, who died five years ago, asked Diane to take over the pub to ensure it would continue to run.

Since then, she has invested in repairs to the 300-year-old building, redecorating rooms, and making the George into a community pub with events including regular monthly quizzes.

She is hoping that the pub's owners, Star Heineken, will be able to find someone willing to take on the George.

But she pointed out that the hospitality industry is facing hard times, with up to 21 businesses closing every week.

Diane has offered to stay on longer if the owners can find a new landlord to help smooth the transition.

"It has been a difficult decision, and I ummed and ahhed over whether to renew the tenancy or to go. In the end, I decided it was the right time for me to leave," said Diane.

She said she had enjoyed her time in charge and thanked her staff for their support and hard work.

Diane said she only made the decision to leave last week, so Star Heineken has not had much time to start looking for new landlords.

She added that she had worked hard to improve the pub's image and that it was now established as a place for the community to enjoy.

Diane said she will now take a short break before deciding on her what she does next.