A Margate pub which has served the community for nearly 100 years is to close its doors for the final time on Friday.

The Holly Tree, based on Northdown Road, has been run by Lisa Cooke for the last three years after its name change from the Ye Olde Charles and is well-known for live music.

A post on their Facebook page on Monday suggested the pub and land were being sold to make way for a housing development.

The building has been a public house since 1923 and has had live bands performing twice a week since Mrs Cooke’s takeover.

A huge fire damaged the roof and destroyed the kitchen in June 2014, from which the 45-year-old says the business never recovered.

She said: “It’s sad that Thanet is losing another live music venue.

“The fire had a massive impact on the pub, I’d been here a year when it happened and it was a few days before the first England game in the World Cup.

“With an independent pub this size, without a kitchen you cannot compete against the chains.

“Friday night is going to be a chance to celebrate the happy.”

The Facebook post said: “We are sad to announce that the pub and grounds are being sold off to make way for a new housing development.

“We’ve tried our best to hold out for nearly a year now, but large corporations and their shareholders will always win out in the end – could’ve been worse, might have been turned into a supermarket.”

Mrs Cooke added: “We are still fighting but the chances of us winning the battle are very remote, I have been aware of this for about a year now.

“There is also a very slim chance someone might take it on and hopefully keep it as a pub.”