The landlady of the Railway Inn in Swadlincote announced on Saturday that she would be leaving the pub from Monday.

Jay Lewis - who has been in charge of the Midway Road pub for the past five years - says her mind was made up when the job was taking up so much of her time that her daughter asked her if she was going to die of Coronavirus,

Now Jay plans to work mainly from home to be with her family more.

And after making a success of The Railway, she is considering working as a consultant to help other pubs do similar.

But she says the current lockdown has finally convinced her that she needs a better work-life balance.

"I've been a landlady for 18 years and sometimes you wish the world would just stop for five minutes," Jay told Swadlincote Nub News.

"You're flat out, 100mph, day in and day out.

"You don't get a proper day off, maybe one or two every three months.

"It's only now that the Coronavirus crisis has hit us that I've slowed down,

"I have still been doing community meals, but I'm a single mum with four children and I have a house to run as well.. and just taking a step back made me realise that, although The Railway is a beautiful pub, it's such hard work.

"There are functions and food, it takes up so much of your time.

"It's reality and I've been umming-and-arring for a while.

"But the final straw was when my three-year-old little girl has been staying at my parents' house.

"We spoke on the phone the other night and she said: 'Mummy, are you dying of Coronavirus?'.

"I said: 'No sweetheart, mummy's coming home'. It was because she'd been watching the news at her grandparents' house.

"She was convinced that because I was out all day at work, that I was going to die of the virus.

"It breaks your heart and it made me realise that I want to go home, shut the door and keep them safe. Then find a new venture somewhere."

Jay says she has the skills need to stay in the industry - and wants to help pubs get back on their feet once the lockdown has eased.

"I've built pubs from nothing. When I took The Railway over it as taking in less than £500," she added.

"It was meant to be sold off and Marston's Brewery said it would never do anything.

"And within five weeks, I'd proved them wrong. Five years on, I've never missed a target and it's been fantastic.

"My dad said I can use my experience of pubs now.

"There are going to be that many landlords and landladies who are going to be struggling to reopen their pubs and don't really know how to market things and how to network and draw trade in.

"I can start some consultancy work and help 80 pubs get open, rather than just one. That way, I can still be at home and look after my children.

"A lot of pubs are new to the trade and it's going to be so difficult.

"I've spoken to some of my regulars and they said they didn't realise how much they spent in the pub.

"And they suddenly have more money in their pocket. Reality is suddenly dawning on them that life doesn't revolve around the pub."

Jay has worked at pubs in Albert Village, Gresley, Stanton and Hatton but she says The Railway has been special.

"I've enjoyed every minute of it, but for the last year I've been talking about going, two or three times I've said I'm going. But my heart's been in the pub and the community. I've loved it so much," she added.

Jay's Facebook post reads: "As most of you already know over the last 12 months I've been thinking of leaving The Railway.

"During this lockdown I've had time to reflect and think about the future.

"So it is with a heavy heart that from Monday, April 20, I will no longer be at The Railway.

"This unfortunately means that all our delivery service meals will also end from Monday. Sunday's carvery will still be delivered tomorrow but it's your last chance to have one of our amazing home cooked dinners.

"I've given the pub and the community my heart and soul for five years but now is the time to move forward for new beginnings for my family.

"A huge thank you to all my customers and team for an amazing time and I wish the railway and new managers all the best for re opening.

"Anyone looking to apply for The Railway please inbox me your details and I'll pass them onto my area manager."