VILLAGERS have launched a campaign to keep their village pub open – and are even looking into buying it themselves.

The Three Horseshoes pub in Charsfield, near Woodbridge, has been closed since May when the previous tenants, Martin Tilbury and Emma Jackson, left.

The pub is now on the market for �289,000 and locals are keen to have a say on its future.

It is being sold by Edward Bolton, a hairdresser from Woodbridge, who has said he would like the building to remain as a pub.

Villagers have now formed a group to look at options in get the pub back in business.

David Wolfe, a member of the newly-formed Friends of The Three Horseshoes (FROTH), said: “We want to see the pub back and thriving as soon as possible.

“If someone wants to come along and buy the pub, that would be great – we would be keen to work with them.

“But the last thing we want is no pub, so we need a fallback.

“We have been looking at a range of options, from taking out a lease to buying the freehold outright.

“It’s early days but the initial response has been very positive and we’ve already had a commitment of �70,000.” FROTH has held three well-attended meetings to hear people’s ideas, and is holding another at the village hall on Saturday, October 1, starting at 7.30pm.

For more information visit www.froth.org.uk.