Plans to keep a community pub open are under threat after a supermarket giant applied take it over - less than a month after locals rallied round to save it.

The Medway Queen shut in June amid falling takings and brewery chain Enterprise Inns was considering selling it for development.

Pub regulars, horrified at the thought of losing their local, clubbed together to launch one of Britain’s first ‘community right to bid’ applications – a new law which allows residents to stop developers getting hold of a much-loved asset.

While their bid was being considered, the brewery allowed business partners Andy Bristow and Bobby Beck to temporarily re-open the pub in Street End Road, Chatham.

Dozens of the regulars rolled up their sleeves to give the sixties building a make-over and the pub reopened with a party on Saturday, June 29.

But their joy was short-lived as just four weeks later, public notices went up outside which said Morrisons Supermarkets had applied to take it over.

The supermarket chain plans to open 300 convenience stores, called M Locals, over the next three years.

Morrisons had submitted an application for a new premises license to Medway Council but the retailer put its application on hold a few days later, after campaigners fighting to keep the pub open contacted Enterprise Inns.

Mr Bristow, 52, of Chestnut Avenue, Walderslade, said: “The community feels like we have been stabbed in the back.

“When we made the agreement with Enterprise we were led to believe we would be here for a while.

“It’s been a huge effort by everyone involved. People have helped redecorate and a lot of time and money has been invested in reopening the pub.

"Between us, Bobby Beck and I have spent about £20,000.

“Now we are up and running again, we have seen new faces come through the door and the pub is thriving. People have said the pub is the best it has ever been.”

The ‘community right to bid’ application will be considered by Medway Council on August 19.

If the decision is made to list it as a community asset, it will pause the sale of the building for six months and give the pub regulars time to develop a bid to buy it.

Cllr Sam Craven, who is backing the bid, said: “We are close to having it listed as a community asset. At the moment there does not seem to be anything that would stop it from going through.

“The application by Morrisons is on hold. If they were to continue, the two-week consultation period would have to begin again.”