The former owner of a craft beer pub in Cardiff is set to close his other bar in Newport less than a year after opening it. James Morgan, the previous landlord of St Canna's Ale House in Canton, opened The Little Tap House in Newport last November.

Located on Baneswell Road, the venture promised a unique café and bar offering craft beer, coffee and gaming and had recently hosted events like drink and draw and a weekly open mic night.

But less than a year later and just a few months after Mr Morgan announced the closure of St Canna's after five years, The Little Tap House has announced it will shut for good this weekend.

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In a statement on social media the pub said: "It is with heavy hearts that we have to announce that The Little Tap house is closing. Over the last nine months we have put all of our passion, time and energy into this lovely little pub, but try as we might we have not been able to make it work.

"We are so sorry to anyone this news disappoints, but thank you to everyone who has supported us; your patronage, conversations and kind words have been very much appreciated. We truly hope this is not goodbye forever, but for now it is. Our last day is Saturday, and we would love you to pop in one more time if you are able. Thank you all once again."

The pub will shut on Saturday, September 2 and all drinks will be half price from 9pm on the night. Back in April Mr Morgan told WalesOnline he would be taking a step back from The Little Tap House but remained involved in the business and is listed as its director on Companies House. At the time he said he was "gutted" to be closing St Canna's, which opened in 2017 and is now known as Slizza Pizza and Pub, but said the difficulties of the current cost of living crisis meant the business had become "unworkable".

St Canna's Ale House closed back in April after five years in business

He said then that his Newport venture had been facing the same challenges as St Canna's such as soaring costs and poor patronage, adding that the pub "can't afford to give me a wage and [the person] who I employ" and that he was searching for other work.

Mr Morgan came under fire in November 2021 after he sent a "creepy" text message to a customer who had provided her number for Track and Trace purposes. He issued a statement apologising over the text and in April this year he denied the incident had influenced his decision to close St Canna's, saying it was "purely a business decision based on finances".