CAMPAIGNERS have been defeated in their bid to buy a village pub. The Bull pub in High Street, Iver, was purchased by its neighbour, Fontain Motors, on Friday last week (11/4), and the company is looking at different possibilities for the future of the site.

Managing director Marcus Robinson said the company 'snatched it away’ from the hands of property developers who wanted to 'tear it down’.

He added: “We are not 100% sure at this stage [what it will be] but we are looking at all avenues. Reopening it as a pub is one of them but the biggest thing we need to look at is whether it is viable as it needs quite a lot of money spent on it.

“I am an Iver resident and I have lived here all my life. We are definitely intending to keep the building alive and renovate it but we are looking at a variety of possible uses.” Fontain Motors has been using The Bull’s under-used car park during the day for its customers, which is the principal reason for purchasing the site.

The Save the Bull campaign pulled in just under £100,000 to buy the pub, and campaign secretary Glenda Kennedy said the group will return the cheques.

She added: “We are pleased that it has not been bought by a developer, but we are hoping that it all works out OK. The best case scenario is that it is run as a pub, but the next best thing is that the building stays - we will have to wait and see.”