MUSIC fans were dealt a blow this week when the future of an alternative Hereford nightclub was thrown into doubt.

Managers Lee Symonds, 35, and Anthony Murphy, 32, have been at the helm of The Jailhouse for seven years but took to Facebook on Sunday to announce that New Year’s Eve would be the last event under their management.

The pair – who have been involved in the county’s music scene for more than a decade – said the club is no longer financially viable after taking a hit during a licence review two years ago.

Mr Murphy told the Hereford Times: “We have been thinking about it for the last couple of months and trying to think of any other options. It’s not because we don’t love it – it just doesn’t make any money and we can’t give away our time for free anymore.

“It was a really tough decision for both of us. We have put so much time and effort into it and we know how much it means to people.”

The club was the subject of a licence review in 2012 following an incident which saw four young men taken to hospital suffering the effects of what police believed to be ketamine.

Strict conditions were then imposed on the club – including police sniffer dogs – which the pair say gave off the wrong impression of the club and alienated potential customers.

Despite the tougher working conditions, the duo continued to use the club to celebrate a rich variety of music and entertainment – ranging from drum and bass to funk, soul and indie.

This saw the likes of The Freestylers, Miss Dynamite and The Wombats come to the Hereford nightclub.

Lyonshall superstar, Ellie Goulding, was also a fan of the club before going on to make her name as a singer-songwriter in the UK and abroad.

“What we have been so lucky with is being able to bring so many acts to the city. DJ Fresh is one of the biggest in the world now.

Chase and Status came for petrol money and also went on to become global superstars,” said Mr Murphy.

“Thinks like that – being able to be part of those artists’ careers in some way – made it.

“We enjoyed playing host to people on the way up in their career while having one of the Wu Tang Clan in Hereford is one of the most surreal experiences of my life.”

Regular visitors to the Gaol Street club responded passionately to the announcement on Facebook – it has already been shared more than 200 times and ‘liked’ by more than 900 people – and Mr Murphy said the pair have been overwhelmed by the response.

Amy Cotton was one of the many taking to social media to express her lament.

She wrote: “I was so sad when I got a phone call. That club really means a lot to me. I really don’t know what I’m going to do without it.”

The club’s owner, Steve Harrison, told the Hereford Times that he will be waiting until the pair have departed before making a decision on its future but would be sad to see The Jailhouse close.