Time has been called on Bradford's Christian pub, The Cock and Bottle.

The pub was opened three years ago by the Reverend Robin Gamble after its owners, Enterprise Inns, agreed to accept a peppercorn rent of £1 a week for the property on Barkerend Road.

But the brewery chain has now received an offer from a tenant willing to pay the full rent and the pub will temporarily close its doors today.

Current pub managing director the Reverend Ashley Evans, pictured, said that the change in management marked the end of an era for the first Christian pub in modern times.

"We recognise this is a commercial business decision that we couldn't match. But we'd like to say thank you to Enterprise Inns for letting us run this project for three great years," he said.

"It was never going to be a commercial venture, but it was a missionary venture, and that's what's worked. We've seen many Christians through the pub and many who have warmed to the Christian faith."

An Enterprise Inn spokesman said there are no plans to re-brand the pub and it will re-open on Monday under its new tenant.

This move is the latest in a long line of changes to the pub.

The Cock and Bottle dates back to 1747 when an inn is first reported to have been licensed on or near the site of the present pub.

Sir Thomas Fairfax's wife is also said to have been captured by Royalist forces in 1643 on the spot where it now stands, but a long standing myth that there was a secret passage linking it to Bradford Cathedral has since been discounted by historians. It appears to have been completely rebuilt in about 1820 at the time of the building of Otley Road and the name Cock and Bottle was first used in 1822.

The pub opened its doors as a Christian pub in June 1999, with an exorcism taking place before the first pint was pulled to cleanse the pub of its chequered history.

Mr Evans said when the church first took over the pub it never expected the venture to last longer than six months.

"We've had fantastic support from the local people who are really upset to see us go - there were hard men crying when we had to tell them.

"But some of the good work will be carrying on. We have a strong young adults group of around 40 people aged 18 to 30 who used to meet in the pub on a Monday night. They're now looking for somewhere else to meet."