A village pub devastated by flooding looks set to be saved, thanks to the determination of its regulars.

Support is growing for a bid to save The Stag Inn at Crosby-on-Eden, and turn it into a hub of the community.

The village pub has been up for sale for about two years, but had still remained open. However, it has not reopened since it flooded last December.

Determined not to see the loss of the popular venue, a group of locals formed an association, registered the pub as a community asset with Carlisle City Council, and are now fighting hard to raise around £150,000 so they can buy it.

A series of open meetings and leaflet drops has already seen the new group, called Crosby-on-Eden Community Association, secure pledges from investors.

Peter Milnes, who was the pub’s landlord between 1999 and 2006, is the group’s chairman.

He said: “We have raised quite a bit of money and we have applied for various grants. We’re on track.”

Already the committee has various offers of grants to carry out the necessary refurbishment of the pub, if their push to buy is successful.

And Mr Milnes is approaching the owners of the building, brewery giants Marston’s to work with them in their bid as a community to buy the pub.

He said as well as Carlisle City Council, the bid to turn the pub into a community asset is being supported by the Heritage Foundation, Ramblers Association, CAMRA, and Penrith and The Border MP Rory Stewart.

Shares in the pub are not only available to locals – Mr Milnes said the wider community can also buy shares in the new venture.

“This pub in the past has been frequented by people from all over,” he explained.

“Even though the pub has been devastated by the floods we want to keep it alive.

“If we’re able to buy the pub we’ll all be in it for the long haul because it benefits us.”

If successful, they hope to renovate the premises, which they admit will take a sizable amount of cash, and reopen it as a place for the people to gather.

In time the group would also like to be able to serve food and offer space for community use, transforming it into the focal point of the village.

Mr Milnes said there is huge support in the village for the idea, and residents have even offered to work in the pub for free should the takeover come to fruition.

Anyone interested in buying shares can call 07921 913768 or 07899 790994.