A campaign to get a former village pub reopened has been launched after a public consultation showed that three-quarters of residents surveyed would use the facility.

The Beehive, in Horringer, near Bury St Edmunds, was once a very successful pub which won a number of awards for its hospitality and food over the years. But it has been closed since 2014.

A planning application was subsequently submitted to turn the building into a house.

So villagers started the Friends of the Beehive group to fight the application.

Now the group has started a campaign that could see village residents buy the Beehive and turn it into a community pub. Attendees at a recent public meeting gave their backing to the campaign.

Group member Martin Evans, who lives near the former pub, said: “The Beehive has always been popular and we were delighted that the recent questionnaire backed our plans to try and save the pub.

“It showed there is a real community interest there and the fact that Horringer has been missing a community hub.

“We have already lost our village shop, our post office, our police station and now one of the local pubs in Horringer. We want to do all we can to get it reopened.”

The friends group received more than 200 responses to the questionnaire, with many hoping the pub would also double up as a tearoom or post office.

The village already has one pub, The Six Bells, which operates mainly as a country restaurant. Villagers believe it would work well alongside a more traditional community pub.

In June, the Beehive was listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) after 34 local people nominated it.

This gives the community an opportunity to prepare a bid to buy the pub.

There has been an encouraging response regarding investing in the pub from the village, but the friends group would welcome any interest from the wider community.

For more information about the campaign contact Peter Crofts on 01284 735044 or at petercrofts@bt internet.com