Queen of the South, the much-loved pub on Norwood Road in Tulse Hill, has announced that it will be closing. The news was shared in a statement posted to the pub’s Instagram account on 13 December.

The statement said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce Queen of the South will no longer be trading. We were unable to raise the funds needed to buy the pub freehold, and the business hasn’t performed at the levels required in the face of rising business rates, utilities and staff costs.”

Earlier this year, the pub’s founder, Clement Ogbonnaya, launched a campaign after Young’s purchased the freehold. He stated that an agreement had been reached for him to purchase the freehold if £500,000 could be raised. A community crowdfunder followed stating "All contributions will go towards keeping us running, from legal fees towards purchasing the freehold, staff wages and refurbishing the pub's rooftop to create a one of its kind bar."

According to the pub’s statement, the required funds were not secured.

The statement continued: “It’s been an incredibly challenging three-plus years. We are extremely proud that we were able to take a building which had been abandoned for almost a decade - an eyesore on the Tulse Hill landscape - and create a beautiful, much-needed pub for a community that hasn’t had the spotlight it deserves. We had some laughs and some great times. We want to thank everybody who contributed to the pub in one way or another.”