AFTER two years of campaigning to keep their pub from closing down, residents of the Paul's Dene area of Salisbury celebrated the reopening of their local in style over the weekend.

From the moment the doors of the Butt of Ale opened at 6pm on Friday, residents packed into the pub and continued to flock through the doors on Saturday and Sunday.

New landlords, Michele Peat and her partner, Shane Wallace, were rushed off their feet.

"It was fantastic. We were busy all the time and the atmosphere was wonderful."

The 42-year-old Butt of Ale closed in 2003 when it was bought by a property company, which wanted to build ten new homes on the site.

Salisbury district council planners rejected their planning application, saying losing the pub was contrary to council policy, which aims to promote the viability and vitality of local communities.

Residents began a campaign to save the boarded-up pub from closing, emphasising that it was a central part of community life for people living in the Paul's Dene area.

More than 150 of them attended a planning inquiry after the developers appealed against the council's decision. They got the support of planning inspector, Michael Hall, who said insufficient evidence had been put before him to show it was not viable.

Michele Peat and her partner came to Salisbury from the neighbouring cathedral city of Chichester, and they intend to run the Butt of Ale as a traditional English pub, making it the centre of community life.

She said: "We held a meeting with local people before we took it over and heard what they wanted from the pub. We will be holding charitable and community events and since Monday we have the kitchen up and running and we are offering traditional English pub food as well as a 'specials' menu."