AN OXFORD live music venue which closed suddenly will remain shut for at least another month.

Last night new details emerged about the circumstances surrounding the closure of The Exeter Hall, known locally as The X, in Oxford Road, Cowley, after it shut without warning on Thursday, January 17.

Al De Boss, the pub's former manager, posted a message on the pub's old website saying she had been declared bankrupt the day the pub closed.

And Punch Taverns, which owns the venue, told the Oxford Mail that it would be at least another three or four weeks before new management would be put in place - and longer still before it could reopen.

Ms De Boss, who took over the premises eight years ago and had been running live music at the site or the past five years, refused to comment.

But the message she posted on the website read: "Many of you will know about my ongoing battle with the Performing Rights Society (PRS).

"I am sorry to have to tell you but on Thursday, January 17, the PRS had me declared bankrupt for not paying the fine that I have been disputing for the last year.

"This means that I am in breach of my tenancy agreement with Punch Taverns and I am no longer allowed to trade at The X."

In April 2007, Ms De Boss held events to raise funds to pay a £3,400 bill from the PRS - which licenses the public performance of music on behalf of composers, songwriters, and music publishers and pays royalties to them each time a piece of music is played in public.

Ms De Boss said: "The Chinese whisper machine has swung into full swing, so I see no point in saying more than that. All events that were booked are cancelled and there is nothing I can do about it. May be I should have seen it coming, but I did not. The party is over.

"The PRS may have ended the music, but not the memories."

She also apologised to the musicians who were due to play in the coming weeks and months and suggested that they contact the new managers once they were in place.

A spokesman for the PRS said: "The Exeter Hall pub was given every opportunity to pay for the appropriate licences.

"Court action is always regrettable, but the pub's actions left us with no choice."