A pub company has confirmed it is working to reopen a town pub which has sat empty for around five months.

Admiral Taverns has said it is in discussions with interested parties to bring in a new landlord to run The Angel, in Rainham.

The boozer, on the corner of Station Road and Lower Rainham Road, was taken over by David Carroll and partner Emma Smith in December who had high hopes to bring it back to life.

They planned to introduce food for the first time in its history and make it a welcoming, family-friendly venue.

A major refurbishment was expected at the end of March following a £185,000 cash injection from Admiral Taverns, which owns the pub, and it was set to be closed for four weeks.

But the revamp never materialised and at the end of May, the firm confirmed it was looking for new landlords to take over.

Speculation has continued to grow over the future of the public house since it closed its doors.

Five months on, a spokesman for Admiral Taverns said: “We are currently in ongoing discussions with interested parties and are working hard to reopen the pub as soon as possible to ensure it can sit at the heart of the community."

David and Emma took over The Angel after former landlord Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy. It is not known why the pair left.

It is another hiccup for the pub. Last summer, the boozer lost around 40% of trade after the road outside was closed for more than eight weeks for gas works.

At the time, then-landlord Stuart said the closure was disastrous for business as passing trade became almost non-existent.

Lower Rainham Road has also been hit with ongoing roadworks since June, with the latest taking place this weekend.

Business owners are fearing the impact of the closures on Saturday and Sunday.