PEOPLE living in a Worcestershire village were celebrating a job well done after re-opening their only pub, which was earmarked for closure.

The Rock Cross Inn closed its doors in August last year after plans to sell it off for housing.

But people living near to it in Rock decided the pub should be salvaged and started a campaign to restore it.

Now the villagers - who angrily opposed the proposal and stumped up nearly £200,000 to buy the pub - hope the re-opening of the inn will signal better times after losing their post office, school and village shop.

Ralph Round, from the pub's clean-up group, which is preparing the inn for next month's re-opening with new licensees Paul and Ann Baker of Bewdley, said the village was looking forward to its future with the pub.

He added the inn was the community's focal point and had to be saved.

"At one point, the future looked so bleak as we had lost so much, and then it looked as though the pub may go too," he said.

"There is a real buzz and excitement around the place as we have been without our pub for nearly 12 months.

"It is more than 200 years old and had never been closed before. After losing everything else, it is vital we hang on to it."

The pub will open its doors again on Saturday, August 31 during the Rock Show. However, the refurbishment will not be finished until mid-September.