A group has been formed to ascertain whether it can attempt to reopen a Suffolk village’s only pub.

The group was made following a meeting attended by about 100 people in Worlingworth.

However the current tenants of the Swan Inn say they are working to re-open it.

The pub, which ceased trading at the turn of the year, is already listed as an asset of community value.

The meeting at Worlingworth Community Centre was organised by Maxine Southwell, who was a former landlady at the pub.

During the meeting she said: “I’m absolutely amazed, I thought there would be three people. With this amount of people here, between us we might be able to do something.”

During the meeting, the issue of ownership surrounding the pub, along with whether it could be sold for housing, was discussed.

Before the working group was formed, there was also debate on whether the pub should be a community-run pub, or if a consortium could attempt to buy the premises outright.

At the meeting Miss Southwell insisted however, this was not for her personal gain and that she only only wanted to see the pub reopened.

“The pub is my passion, I’ve not been there for several years,” she said after the meeting.

“I want to see it open again. There’s nothing to gain from it for me.

“Hopefully in a few months I’ll be at the bar drinking my coke.”

Rob Lyons-Davis, who is a tenant of the pub along with business partner Julie Threadgold, said: “Our aim is to get it re-opened but the state of it will require a lot of work to get it done properly.

“There’s too many people who are just sticking their noses in.

“We just want to get the place open. We would like to get a decent pub for the village – that’s what I’ve wanted from day one.”

Karen Osborn, who is vice-chairman of the parish council and a member of the working group, said after the meeting: “I think we need to ascertain whether the pub is for sale or whether it isn’t.

“We don’t want to assume too much before moving things forward.”

Miss Osborn added: “We need to get the lay of the land and decide what to do next.”

The next meeting is at the community centre on May 26, at 7.30pm.