Nearly two thousand people have signed a petition to fight Butcombe Brewery who the landlords of a country pub have said have doubled their rent.

The Ring O Bells in Compton Martin is listed in the Domesday Book and the couple who run it say that if they don't agree to the increase the brewery will take over.

The pub is a favourite in the Chew Valley, popular with locals, and when not under lockdown, tourists visiting the nearby lakes.

They have written on the petition site : " After nearly nine years of running our local village pub and putting it back into the heart of our community, breathing life into its offering and bringing so many wonderful community events to our village, the Butcombe Brewery have slammed an aggressive 100% rent increase and unachievable purchase demands onto it.

"If the pub does not agree to these demands they have been informed the brewery shall not renew the tenancy agreement and take over. This will mean all our inter community events shall cease and we shall loose our unique and individual special pub, that we have supported every step of the way.

"We also don't wish see it become a branded managed pub. We the people of Compton Martin, Ubley, Blagdon and surrounding villages in the Chew Valley ask that Butcombe reconsider this decision."

Villagers Miles and Luca Leonard bought the Ring O' Bells in 2012 with friends Matt and Fiona and transformed the pub back to it's original state.

You can find the petition by clicking HERE : the Change dot org site