Emily DennisVillagers have launched a campaign to save their last pub which has closed in a storm of controversy. The Duke William at Metfield, near Harleston, hit national headlines last month over claims that the landlord had shut the pub following a row over late night drinking.Emily Dennis

Villagers have launched a campaign to save their last pub which has closed in a storm of controversy.

The Duke William at Metfield, near Harleston, hit national headlines last month over claims that the landlord had shut the pub following a row over late night drinking.

The pub has been closed since last August and villagers say they believe that landlord Paul Swan and his wife Vanessa have been living inside the premises without the necessary planning consent.

A Mid Suffolk District Council spokeswoman confirmed that the authority issued a planning contravention notice in relation to the premises on January 5 in order to make enquiries regarding an alleged breach of planning control. The couple have 21 days to respond.

But on Tuesday Mr Swan, who has owned the pub for three years, hit back at the claims.

He said: 'We closed the pub for financial reasons. The pub wasn't viable - that is the only reason. That was last August.

'We went out and we found work to pay the bills. Any rumours about us trying to de-licence the pub are false and the pub is not for sale. We would lose too much money.'

He added: 'We have a flat above the pub and we live in that. We do not use the bar or restaurant for living in.

'For the latter part of last year we were doing a fair bit of work in the bar. It has been re-plastered and re-decorated. A lot of that work was done in the evening so the lights were on.

'A lot of people in the village, because they saw the lights, thought we were living in the bar area, but we weren't.'

Mr Swan said the couple could not currently afford to reopen the premises but would eventually look to put it on the market.

'We are just ordinary people getting on with our lives,' he added.

Local carpenter David Wareham, who is spearheading the campaign to save the pub, said: 'It was once a well-used pub. It is very sad and a huge loss to the village. People really do want this pub. There used to be three pubs in the village and now there are none. Villagers are fighting to save it.'

Mr Wareham has asked villagers to complete a questionnaire in a bid to find a way forward.

Metfield Parish Council chairman Peter Mortimer said: 'It is sad to see the village pub closed as it is at the heart of the community. We are supporting the work that Mr Wareham is doing and we are all of the opinion that we would like to see it reinstated as a public house as soon as possible.'