Edinburgh music venue the Leith Depot has denied reports that its owners have resigned to permanently closing later in the year.

The lease of the pub, with its popular upstairs live music space, ends on October 1, 2019, and a recent newspaper report stated that the management were preparing to move on, saying: “With the gigs we put on we’ve become a pretty well-known music venue and bar – but it’s difficult to relocate in Edinburgh.”

“We’d be open to re-negotiating with Drum as the location here is perfect, but so far they have been unwilling to negotiate.”

A statement on the Depot’s Facebook page said: “Leith Depot is fighting tooth and nail against Drum Property Group’s attempt to shut us down; that remains, and will always remain the same.

We have put everything that we have into this place and we are determined to stay open.”

Despite the council rejecting the proposals of Drum Property Group to tear down the businesses in the Art Deco block, and turn them into student flats, the owners are still determined to press ahead in removing the remaining tenants – the Depot, Leith Walk CafeCafe, and Punjabi Junction – at the end of their leases.