An online fundraiser for an Old Town pub has hit its £5,000 target – in less than 24 hours.

Jason Putt, landlord of The Hop, said it was “touching” people had dug deep and donated on the pub’s Go Fund Me webpage.

Among those to give money was an anonymous donor who offered £2,000. More than 70 people have donated, with locals describing the boozer as an oasis and the best pub in Swindon.

Mr Putt, who owns The Hop and The Little Hop, both on Devizes Road, said the money would help keep the wolf from the door.

“On Friday night, with these new restrictions we took about 40 per cent of what we would normally have expected to take on a Friday in early December,“ he told the Adver.

“This really is keeping the proverbial wolf from the door. It’s permitting us to exist.”

Swindon Advertiser:

Jason Putt outside The Hop in 2019 Picture: DAVE COX/ADVER

The pub was already operating at around half its normal capacity. New Tier 2 rules requiring pubs to serve a “substantial meal” with drinks made matters more difficult for the business.

Depending on the size of their donations, people will get the chance to have their name on the pub’s wall either on a panel or a metal plaque. Other rewards include discount cards, badges and stickers.

You can find the fundraiser on Go Fund Me.