DRINKERS are calling for one of Abingdon’s most popular riverside pubs to be reopened in time for the summer season.

The Nags Head, in Bridge Street, was boarded up in January after landlord Tracy Smith quit, blaming high rents and tough winter trading.

But the historic Punch Taverns pub, which overlooks the Thames, has always been popular in hot weather.

Johanne Green, spokesman for the Oxford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “It is a terrible shame.

“It is the first thing you see as you go over the bridge.

“It is a wonderful spot in weather like this.

“I am sure another pub company might be interested in taking it over and that would be great.”

Abingdon mayor Duncan Brown said: “It is a particular shame because it is the first view people get when they come into the town.

“It is not nice to be welcomed by boarded-up premises.”

Last month, Punch Taverns announced it was to sell 3,000 of its pubs to tackle its £3bn debt.

Punch Taverns spokesman Alice Bowden said the firm was “exploring the options” about the future of the Nags Head, including selling it for development.