Nearly three months after it shut, no licensee has been found to take over Romford Market’s historic Lamb Inn.

The news comes eight weeks after owners Spirit Leased originally said the pub was due to reopen under temporary management in early October.

A spokesman said this week: “The pub remains closed whilst we look for a suitable permanent licensee to take this business forward. We want to establish a pub with a quality cask ale and local food focus and we would be interested in speaking with those interested in running a pub in this way.”

Mate Gyori, 22, and his co-defendant Thomas Bateman, 19, both of no fixed abode, were last week convicted of squatting above the pub. They had been arrested under the new anti-squatting law, which was then just days old, a fortnight after the listed building shut its doors.

Anyone interested in taking on the pub should contact Maria Thomas at Spirit Leased on 07970 698 951.