A WELL-known Darwen pub could be facing closure after it was put up for sale.

The Prince of Wales pub has been placed on the market for £125,000 and could be closed down by the new owners.

Known locally as ‘The Singing Mouse’, the pub has been described by community leaders as a firm fixture of the town.

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The Quaker Lane pub’s current lease dates back to 1870 and is due to last for 999 years.

The two-storey building comprises an open-plan bar area with a separate pool room and seating areas.

It also includes four bedrooms, a large function room and dining room.

It is currently being marketed by Trevor Dawson Chartered Surveyors of Blackburn.

Councillor Brian Taylor, of Darwen Town Council, said: “It would be a real shame if the pub was to be closed.

“The Prince of Wales pub is a quite well-known building in the local community.

“It’s known in the areas as ‘The Singing Mouse’ but nobody really knows how it came by that name.

“It will be sad for the community around the pub if it was to close and I would hope that the new owners keep it open and allow it to thrive.

“Pubs have a very important role in the community because they help to combat loneliness and isolation. He said these things can be more harmful to health than people know.

“These things can be more harmful to health than people know and it can be likened to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“People should use pubs more, even if they are not drinking, to socialise and support small local businesses.”

Mayor of Darwen Town Council Trevor Maxwell said: “While pubs do shut in Darwen we also have other pubs opening up all the time.

“The night-time economy is changing in the town and pubs in outlying areas are finding it harder to survive than they were a few years ago.

“It would be a real shame if we were to lose the pub and I hope that the new owners, whoever they are going to be, manage to keep it open for the community.”

The current owners of the pub were unavailable for comment.