TEMPORARY managers have taken over a pub near Malvern after the previous landlords claimed they were forced out of the trade by 'unreasonable' financial demands.

However, some locals at the Royal Oak in Leigh Sinton, near Malvern, hope permanent managers can be found after the excellent work of the previous managers, Caroline Allton, and husband Colin to transform the pub.

A collection of more than £250 from locals was presented as a leaving gift for the couple on Friday, July 29.

The Worcester News understands that new managers took over on Thursday, August 4 on a temporary basis.

A Marston’s spokesperson said: “It is business as usual for The Royal Oak. We have placed temporary operators in the pub for the immediate future and are currently interviewing candidates for permanent operators.”

However, one local who lives in the village questioned how long the arrangement would last and said the previous managers would be hard to replace and were valued by the community because of all the work they had put into the pub.

She said: "I want to know that our pub is secure. The pub is vital to the community. It's vital because it's the only pub we've got that you can walk to. We still don't know what's happening and they only have these people in short term.

"If they haven't found anybody next week the pub will shut again."

In a previous report we said Caroline Allton decided to leave the pub 17 months before her contract was due to expire.

The 56-year-old said the rent of £24,000 per year was unaffordable despite having persuaded the company not to impose a price hike of £1,000 a year.

Mrs Allton, who informed the pub company she was leaving last month, said: “They have not acknowledged the work we have done to transform this pub.

“The more money you make the more they want from you. I’m frustrated by the amount of work we have to do for little or no reward."

Mrs Allton estimates trade has trebled since she took over the pub in March 2014 and the pub was busy with good beer sales.

But she says she has been forced to take this decision because of Marston’s, which has also hit her with a £2,600 dilapidations bill for problems she said had not been resolved by previous managers.

Marston’s has asked she paints the cellar and replace the upholstered cover on a seat inside the pub which she says was worn through before she took over.

Her plan to leave early has already resulted in Marston’s taking her £6,000 deposit but she insists the company has to meet her halfway on some of the other demands they have made.

She has already painted the hallway and fixed a toilet door handle.

Mrs Allton said the bill came despite all the work she and her family had completed on the pub since they took over from the previous tenants, including demolishing three rotten sheds removing rusty railings and other rubbish from the top garden and levelling it.

The work was completed by her family with the only contribution from Marston’s being the provision of two skips she said.