Black Sheep Brewery pubs closures lands yet another blow for Yorkshire's famous beer brand

That is just one of the myriad messages sent to this newspaper by crestfallen shareholders – some for publication, some not – who, over a long period of time, put their faith and their money in one of Yorkshire’s most famous beverage exports, only for them to have the rug pulled from beneath them by the technicalities that come with pre-pack administration deals.

Now we learn that the London-based investment firm that scooped up the brewer will call closing time for good on its three pubs in Leeds and York, with immediate effect.

The Black Sheep Tap and Kitchen in Chapel Allerton and Mr Foleys in Leeds as well as The Last Drop Inn in York are now shut.

It is not yet clear quite how many jobs will be lost as a result of this latest announcement, but what is clear is that it has come as a shock to those running the pubs.

The landlords at The Last Drop Inn, bereft at the news, said they are beyond upset, having built their business from the ground up inside what they call a shell of a building.

Yet it is to their credit that the first people they thanked were their customers and the first thought they had was for their staff; that tells you everything about who they are as people and demonstrates the qualities needed to run a good local pub.

It has been said in these columns previously, pubs are so much more than watering holes. They are community hubs for like-minded people who often rely on the social interaction that comes with spending time with friends. We must cherish them.