A HISTORIC high street pub’s regulars found themselves in a lock out last week.

The Crown Inn, open in the High Street since the 1800s, was suddenly sealed off on Monday last week [January 6] with regulars arriving to see a secure green door attached to the front entrance that morning.

A notice on the green door states: “This property is protected by Secure Empty Property.”

“Items of value have been removed.”

The sudden closure left the Crown Inn’s regular clientele seeking shelter in neighbouring Turf Inn, The Carrick, The Delta Bar and the R&A Sports Bar at Irvine Cross.

Secure Empty Property were unable to confirm the reasons for sealing off the building when contacted by the Times.

But since then a new Facebook page called Crown Inn Irvine New has sprung up after the sudden closure, saying the popular karaoke venue was now under new management and promising the boozer will be back open for business soon.

The Times was told the bar should be back in business by Monday, January 27.

The historical High Street boozer previously hosted Irvine Burns Club – one of the world’s oldest groups dedicated to the national Bard based up the road in the Wellwood centre – when it first formed in the then Milne’s Inn in 1826.

However the sudden closure of the historical High Street pub didn’t concern all of the town’s community councillors.

At their meeting last Wednesday [January 8] Community Councillor Marion Taylor said: "There’s the Crown now shut – how long is that going to lie there?"

Community councillor Jackie Frew said: “God help whoever buys the Crown – because it’s stinking.”