A COUNTY councillor has stepped in to allay concerns over a village's public house.

Cllr Gladys Healey, of the Hope Ward, said she has been contacted by concerned residents over the future of the former Red Lion in Hope.

Rumours had speculated that the village public house had been sold to the NHS to be used as a methadone clinic for drug users.

Cllr Healey said told the Leader she contacted the brewery, Punch Taverners, who provided assurance that there was no truth to the rumour.

She added: "The pub has been closed for so long that people are starting to speculate and some comments, which are intended to be humorous, are being taken seriously.

"The brewery stopped work on the pub because it wanted further work to be done hand-in-hand with the appointment of a new manager. This appointment is now in the pipeline.

"There have been workmen at the site recently to retile the toilets and they have told me that they expect the whole team of workmen to be at the site in about two weeks time."

The brewery is aiming to have the pub, which will be re-named as 'The Lion', open by mid-October.

Cllr Healey said: "The closed pub has been an eyesore in the village for a number of years and there will be rejoicing in the Hope community when it re-opens.

"Hope is a hearty community with a great deal going on. The Community Council has recently organised a very successful hanging basket competition and there has been a terrific response to the Scarecrow competition.

"People are taking a real pride in the community and the sooner this pub is reopened the better. It has planning permission for new signage and it just needs to happen now."