Mad O'Rourke's shuts two pubs

Mad O'Rourke's has closed two of its three iconic Black Country pubs, leaving 35 workers out of a job, it was revealed today.

The famous pie factory chain has handed its Gornal and Wordsley pubs back to Marston's Brewery after revenue fell and profits were hit by the recession.

But bosses said today that the quirky chain's original Tipton branch will remain open.

Mad O'Rourke's boss Pete Towler, from Tettenhall, said: "It is with great regret that we have to announce that due to the recession, business has not been as we hoped and we have had to hand back our Gornal and Wordsley premises to Marston's and retrench back to the original Mad O'Rourke's Pie Factory in Tipton where we hope you will continue your support."

The Wordsley branch, in Camp Hill, has already been taken over by new owners and is due to reopen tomorrow under its former name The Vine. The future of the Lower Gornal branch, in Himley Road, is unknown.

Rachel O'Conner, one of the new owners of the Wordsley branch, said traditional decorations would be retained but that all evidence of the Mad O'Rourke's name would be erased.

"It will still be a food house, and we will still serve a selection of pies, but it won't be exactly the same," said Miss O'Conner, aged 34, from Solihull.

Workers from the branch are now re-applying for their jobs under the new management. Former manager Richard Smith, 21, from Woodsetton, said he had received a call from bosses on Monday morning to say the pub would be closing.

"It came out of the blue, no-one expected it," he said.

"I knew the company was struggling though, we were doing half the amount of business we were before."

A former worker from the Gornal branch, who did not wish to be named, added: "Pete told us on that everybody was being made redundant but we're hoping someone will step in."