THE owners of a popular Helensburgh pub have announced they have "handed back the keys" after almost five years in an emotional social media post.

Burgh couple Stuart Izatt and Emma Campbell are moving on from the Argyll Bar having taken the reins of the East Clyde Street local at the end of 2015.

The pub has been shut since Friday, March 20 and has not re-opened, despite the easing of lockdown measures in recent weeks.

Posting on the Argyll Bar's Facebook page on Wednesday, Stuart and Emma praised their customers and reflected on the "amazing journey", admitting that it was "a shame it had to finish this way".

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"Well it's official, we handed back the keys for the Argyll Bar today, it will not be opening back up for a while at least.

"I'm not gonna go into the details, but we had a tough decision to make, not one we wanted to make, but that's it done now.

"We want to thank absolutely everyone that supported us, and to all our regulars and occasional visitors we owe you guys loads.

"For every quiz team that had that one person who would show up and convince you that your correct answer was wrong, thank you.

"For every person that came to play bingo, with the hopes of shouting "HOUSE" only to be beaten to the punch by that jammy (insert favourite swear word here) every time, thank you.

"For all the poker folks that came down every Wednesday and Sunday, hoping to win it all, only to be put out early by an idiot call or a terrible river card. Then prop up the bar going into every detail of how you should have won, and how unlucky you were to bar staff that knew nothing about poker, thank you.

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"To every fantastic singer that joined us for karaoke, and also the ones that thought they were Robbie Williams at Knebworth, but sounded like Ozzy Osbourne shouting in his house, thank you.

"To all the questionable dancers and dodgy tune requesters that joined us on a Saturday night, thank you.

"To the folks that came in from Tenable till The Chase every day. Thank you.

"To all our sports fans who followed the Six Nations, the football, the tennis and more, who shouted, screamed, and even shed the occasional tears. Thank you.

"To everyone else that visited our happy little pub. Thank you."

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The couple also paid tribute to staff members past and present and said that while they may have ran the pub, it was the customers "who made it what it is".

The post added: "We started the pub with a good bunch of friends and a lot of customers, as we close the doors we may not have any more customers but we have a hell of a lot more friends than what we started with.

"Thank you to everyone, we love you all.

"P.s anyone looking for a reliable, hard working guy who has always got a bit of banter, get in touch."

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