A VILLAGE pub saved from the bulldozers is up for sale.

Villagers won a battle to keep the beer flowing at the Davenport Arms at Calveley when developers wanted to demolish it for houses.

Regulars protested so stoutly that a recommendation by Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council's planning officers to allow the demolition to go ahead, was overturned after councillors visited the pub themselves.

But now landlord Mick Merrick is putting the property up for sale.

He said: 'The plan to demolish the pub and build houses was only put in because of a lack of customers.

'Everyone made a big fuss when they heard about the plans, but since the council made the decision that it should not be demolished, there has been no upturn in trade.

'There were said to be 103 protesters when the building plans were put in. Well if those 103 people came in once a week, or even once a month, maybe we could keep the place running.

'There was talk during the controversy that I had got another job and that I was doing my best to run the pub down.

'But that is not true at all. I love it out here. I did have to take another job, but that was simply because I was not making any money.'

Mr Merrick, who runs the pub with his wife Jan, said he would be placing advertisements in several trade papers within the next few days.

He said: 'The main reason why councillors said it should not close was that it had not been put on the open market, to give someone else the opportunity to buy it and run it.

'When it was first mooted that the pub may close it was said that a local couple wanted to buy it. Well they are now being given that chance.'

Mr Merrick, who formerly ran the Wilbraham Arms in Nantwich, said if no buyers came forward he and his business associates would decide what other steps they could take.

Residents opposed the demolition because they said the pub was the only community building in the village, after the shop and post office had closed down.