A member of the campaign to save a pub which could be converted into a convenience store and petrol station has supported placards protesting the proposed development.

Cleeve’s Lord Nelson is facing demolition, with owner Tout Ltd hoping to build a new complex including a pub café, hair salon and office space in its place.

Boards reading ‘Tout out’ and ‘no Budgens in Cleeve’ have been placed opposite the pub, and some villagers have labelled them ‘unsightly’.

But Don Veale, of the campaign to save the pub, believes ‘the bottom line is a petrol station is the last thing the village wants’, and that the signs make the village’s stance clear.

He said: “The signs opposite the Lord Nelson make a point, both to owners Tout Ltd and to passing motorists.

“They are not exactly works of art, but my understanding is that they weren’t meant to be, just a loud and clear message that the residents of Cleeve don’t want to see their 200-year-old public house demolished.”