FUNDRAISING punters have paid off a crippling VAT debt which threatened to close a popular Southend pub.

Fi and Dave Dulake almost gave up the Railway Hotel, in Clifftown Road, after facing the large debt and having to find the cash to restore the crumbling pub.

The Friends of the Railway Hotel was formed to help them out and raised more than £10,000 in a week. It has since reached almost £12,000.

The couple issued a statement showing just how much the fundraiser has meant to them and the future of the pub – a well known music venue which supports a stream of local bands.

In a Facebook post the duo said: “As a footnote to the fantastic gofundme thing... we just paid a huge chunk of our VAT debt with the money (it took a while to come through) and a massive weight has lifted off our shoulders.

“We both want to thank everyone who contributed one last time. We can’t really put into words how much this meant to us.”

The pair added: “We are not in any way out of the woods yet as trade is still down, the streets are quiet and the bills keep coming.

“The only way this pub can survive is if it gets used regularly.

“We’ve cut back as much as we can on staff and it now comes down to bums on seats. I say this purely because you’ve shown us how much the pub means to you, even to the point of giving us your hard-earned cash, and I know you’d want to be in full possession of the facts.

“This is not me asking anyone for more funding, that was a one-off; the pub now has to survive under its own steam and, to do that, it needs people through the door spending.”

The couple are urging anyone wo wants to put on an event, to get in touch via Facebook.

The Friends of the Railway Hotel are set to continue their support with a new Facebook page to encourage people to give their support on a regular basis.