The future of Maidstone’s LGBT scene is uncertain after the current landlords of the town's only gay pub announced it was closing indefinitely.

The Queen Anne which was for many years the town’s sole venue for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, has shut its doors, with owners Terry Farrell and David Butler announcing the closure on the establishment’s Facebook page.

The announcement came 12 days after it was revealed the Queen Anne Road pub had been banned from playing music after a representative of music royalties collector Phonographic Performance Ltd heard various tracks being played at the premises without a valid license being held by the owners, Caladium Ltd.

The judgement was made at London’s High Court, with the company failing to appear at the hearing.

Citing a drop in trade Mr Farrell and Mr Butler issued a statement saying: “It is with regret that we must announce the closure of the Queen Anne until further notice.

“After much careful consideration we had decided some time ago that we would be leaving the Queen Anne, this is primarily due to a large drop in custom and an inability to trade competitively with the larger and cheaper bars and clubs in town.”

The pair, who also own Caladium Ltd, added that as yet no one had taken on the tenancy and they were not aware of anyone planning to do so.

Pub regulars were saddened by the announcement at the end of last month but thanked Mr Farrell and Mr Butler for their hard work.

Posting on the pub’s Facebook page Tim Coss said: “Shame to see you go, you have been the best and most decent landlords. It’s a sad day for Maidstone and the local LGBT community.”

Caladium Ltd was unavailable for comment and the future of the building remains uncertain.