residents are invited to a public meeting about the future of a village pub.

The Hawthorn Inn, in the centre of Upper Welland, has been shut since August and a steering group has been formed to fight for it to remain as a pub.

Peter Clark, chairman of the group, says the meeting will be held for those who want to see the pub retained as a local amenity.

"It's for anyone who wants to see a proper community pub come back to the village," he said.

Two hundred leaflets have been distributed in the village.

The pub's landlord, James Stuart, has been invited to the meeting.

"We hope he'll come and tell us what he plans to do with the pub in the future. Failing that, we've invited him to send us a note which can be read out," said Mr Clark. "There's a lot of concern about what's going to happen to it. The signs have been taken down."

A representative from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has also been invited.

Although someone who owns a pub is not obliged to keep it open, the building's use cannot be changed without planning permission. Malvern Hills District Council's local plan says applications should not be approved if they result in the loss of community facilities, including pubs.

Mr Stuart could not be reached for comment this week.

The meeting is at 7.30pm on Tuesday (October 25), at the Methodist chapel, on the main road through the village.