A DISTRESSED pub landlady was served with a two-week notice to leave her pub on the same day she got diagnosed with cancer.

Fiona Conway, 50, of London, has been co-managing the Robert Burre Pub in Clacton with her cousin James Conway,43, of Limerick, but they are now being asked to leave.

The duo took over the pub on a temporary licence from Star Pubs and Bars in July, and was hoping to secure a five-year agreement.

Instead, the licence operator ordered them to vacate the premises on the same day Mrs Conway was diagnosed with three different types of cancer.

The two cousins were left baffled when Star Bars told them they haven’t filed in the right documents.

Mr Conway said: “The reason for ending this contract is something more than they have told us.

“We have done a profit and loss account with a certified accountant which Star Bars rejected”

According to pub owners, the Robert Burre has only been thriving and enjoying top customer reviews under their ownerships, which has added more confusion as to why their licence was rejected.

Mr Conway said:” We are about 62 per cent ahead of Star Bars’ own projections about what stage we would be at this time.

“In the pub world you never take an operator of a pub who is achieving more than everyone could expect from a place .

“There are regular customers who think it is the best it has been in ten years and it makes me proud that my work has been recognized by the people of Clacton. “

According to Mr Conway, the pub had a bad reputation in the past, but they managed to turn the place into “the hub of the community”

He added: “It was becoming a place where families were starting to gather.

“Some people say they were watching the pub come back to live again.

“I put so much effort into building it and it means everything to me.”

Star Pubs and Bars have said the owners were made aware from the beginning that their licence agreement was temporary.

They have also said they would be giving them more time to leave the pub given Mrs Conway’s health problems.

A spokesman for the company added: "The current licensee came on board on a temporary agreement knowing our plans to find permanent licensees.

“We have now found permanent licensees to take on the Robert Burre and given the required notice to the operator, which we extended due to her personal circumstances."

“Notice on our temporary management agreements is 14 days.

“Star Pubs & Bars gave the licensee a further 10 days on top of this.”