A pub in Marlow that saw a drop in business after it was forced to remove its outdoor seating will permanently close in less than two weeks.

The George and Dragon on The Causeway in Marlow will cease operation and be integrated into its neighbouring Premier Inn hotel on Monday, August 5, after being labelled a “lower-returning” venue.

A spokesperson for hospitality company Whitbread Inns told the Free Press in May that the pub was among the 126 sites proposed for closure in an overhaul plan to address falling profits in some parts of the country.

They added: “We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by either transferring into new roles or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly.”

A statement on George and Dragon’s website now confirms that it will “permanently close” from August 5.

It comes just months after the pub’s general manager Sumukh Kondaskar said the business had yet to recover from the impact of having to remove all its outdoor furniture after Buckinghamshire Council issued a penalty notice for encroaching onto the public highway.

Mr Kondaskar told the Free Press: “It’s pretty much killed our business. They should have told us six months in advance – the problem was how sudden it was.”

Mark Winn, cabinet member for homelessness and regulatory services at Buckinghamshire Council said: “We know many businesses benefit from additional seating space outside their premises and where it is safe to do so, the council is fully supportive.

“(However), the council will investigate complaints made regarding street furniture blocking safe public access and any business repeatedly found to be in breach of the conditions of their licence risks having their licence revoked.”