A major Suffolk brewery has changed a new pub sign after critics argued it was not in character with the building.

Bury St Edmunds’ Dog and Partridge pub, in Crown Street, has its old sign back after Greene King decided to withdraw its new ‘Flame Grill’ board.

The company’s new signs, which are going up in about 85 pubs, are an attempt to re-brand the venues.

Alan Jary, chairman of The Bury Society, said the new signs looked out of place.

He said: “The Dog and Partridge is a very old building, it’s very traditional and it had a totally unrelated hanging sign.

“At a glance the pub’s old sign told you the name of the establishment, even if you could not read it, you could see the picture of the dog and partridge and you would know what pub it was.

“We think the sign on a pub should be a representation of the pub and be compatible with the building.”

He said that several people had contacted him with similar views about the new pub signs.

The Spread Eagle in Bury is another pub which has been given a new sign.

Alan Rose, 72, from the Inn Sign Society said the old pictorial signs were of huge historic value.

He said: “We are trying to preserve the historic signs. We think the new signs are a backward step. If you walk down the street and see the sign you are not sure if it’s a building society, a bank or whatever. We are really against this, the signs are part of our heritage. We want to keep a record of the signs for future generations.”

Richard Lewis, managing director of Greene King’s local pubs division, said: “The change to the new Flame Grill branding has generally been very well received by our customers. However, we do accept that the changes may not be right in all 85 of our Flame Grill pubs and as a result we are looking again at the pictorial signs at some of the more historic pubs.”

He added: “We are passionate about our pubs and it is heartening that the local community appears to be just as passionate.”