The owners of a popular Reading pub have issued a plea for help after they were forced to close their doors temporarily.

The Reading Railway Pub has long stood at its Station Hill site, with owner Lorelei Leaver taking on the venue in 2019.

The owner said following an event on Wednesday, February 7, she was horrified to find that the men’s bathroom facilities had overflown making them unusable.

After numerous communications between Network Rail – who owns the building, the Arch Company, and Thames Water, the issues have yet to be resolved.

Lorelei Leaver and Richard Rowlands have launched a GoFundMe to raise money that will ensure the bar's survival until the drainage and plumbing issues are successfully fixed.

Lorelei said: “The situation we have been put in would be fatal for any pub that has been forced to close to customers.

“We are trying every day to get the landlord, the station management, Network Rail and Thames Water to work together to get the issue fixed.

“Because we can not say for sure when we will reopen, we are losing more revenue with each passing day and it is devastating because we can’t do anything about it other than keep chasing them.”

Although an attempt has been made by Thames Water to attend the site, the position of the manholes below the railway lines means that workmen have been unable to assess the issue.

Lorelei said: "A plumber cannot fix it as the blockage is under an adjacent platform of the station, which requires track closure and specialist engineers who are qualified to work on the tracks.

“It feels like the three big companies are destroying an independent business due to their lack of action.”

Due to the ongoing rent, electricity, and energy costs and the lack of incoming revenue, the owners are now reaching out for support from the local community.

They said: “We are only asking for money to pay for things we have to pay for. The management will not be taking any of this money. We just want to re-open and continue to provide the service we have always delivered.

“Once we are sorted (cleaned drains, new manhole covers), this should never happen again, so this request is a one-off.

“All contributions, however small or large, are appreciated. When we are complete, the managers will hold a reopening party to which you are invited, if you can make it.”

Network Rail and The Arch Company have been contacted for a comment on the ongoing issue.

If you wish to help the Reading Railway Pub guarantee its future click here for the GoFundMe