A Bromyard pub has been saved from extinction by its most loyal drinkers, while another famous watering hole prepares for a new lease of life.

Regular customers of The Gate Hangs Well at Tedstone Wafer objected when landlord Stephen Judd applied to change the popular bar into a private house.

He blamed declining trade in an area with an electoral roll of just 132 and claimed tougher drink-driving laws were deterring people from travelling out into the countryside.

But Mr Judd - who has run the pub for eight years - saw his 'long-term aim' turned down by a Malvern Hills committee.

They decided that, as the pub made a profit and provided a vital service to the scattered local community, it should remain open for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, historic pub The White Horse in Bromyard - which has been closed for some time - will become a shop and block of flats if plans in front of Herefordshire Council get the go-ahead.

The ground floor bar area would be converted for retail use and the original living accommodation above the pub retained, while four new flats with private garages would be created.

Planners will need to decide whether to allow the development, which affects not only a listed building but also the Cruxwell Street conservation area.

Comments on the scheme need to be made to the northern divisional planning office in Leominster by July 27.