Two petrolheads gearing up to turn a village pub into a haven for car lovers have dismissed fears it will be a venue for “boy racer Tesco meets".

Roger Gray and Edd Little have taken over the Halfway House in Challock, on the main road between Ashford and Faversham, and hope to open in April.

The 48-years-olds - who are founders of the popular B Road Hunting Club car group - have already started renovating the restaurant, bar and garden areas to bring the pub back into community use.

They hope to attract motor enthusiasts from across the south east for regular meet-ups and events, and their plans have been welcomed by many villagers.

But with some locals raising fears over increased noise and traffic, the pair insist the transformation will not encourage boy racers or antisocial behaviour on the roads.

Mr Little, a professional chef, said: "The idea is that it is going to be a food-led pub with the add-on of car events and for our members.

"It will be petrolhead-themed, and will have our stamp on it, but it's for everyone.

"Our slogan is ‘arrive with grace, leave with respect’.

"There is no revving, no burn-outs, no racing up the roads; that’s behaviour we do not accept or encourage. We are not afraid to ban members if they break the rules.

"Equally, we don’t police the roads, that is not our job, and we have a lot of experience on how to deal with the public and we can only reassure them we don’t accept that behaviour and we will quite happily report it."

Mr Gray, who lives in Maidstone, says they accept they will not be able to keep everyone happy.

"No matter what you do, because it will be car-themed, some will love it, others might not, but that is just the nature of the beast,” he said.

“But we want to ease people’s fears.

"If you live in Challock, you live on some pretty cool roads for petrolheads. Now, even before we have opened, there are people who bring their cars down here.

"The minute we get in here, we don’t want to be blamed for every car that drives through, or makes a noise, or that is going over the speed limit, because that happens anyway.

"We don’t want to alienate people, but people need to know there are going to be some pretty exotic, interesting, quirky, cars coming here on a regular basis.

"Even if you’re not a petrolhead, some of the cars you’ll think 'wow'.”

In a Facebook post to villagers, the pair added: "We aren’t the devil incarnate…so don’t panic! Basically B_Road will be a destination pub/restaurant/events venue for car people/enthusiasts and the general public.

"The pub will have a motorsport theme. Let me assure everyone that a ]boy racer Tescos meet' we are NOT!"

The two men formed B Road Hunting Club five years ago as a way for car enthusiasts to get together and share their appreciation for motors, and it now has more than 3,000 followers on Facebook.

They started in a shed in Mr Little's back garden in East Sussex and eventually expanded to have a dedicated space on the Bentley Estate in Lewes.

Having outgrown the previous venue, the duo snapped up the pub on the crossroads along the A252 Canterbury Road.

If all goes to plan, they are aiming to open on April 1 under a new name, which is yet to be decided.

Four plinths to showcase cars will be created in the garden space, and the pub will also have a small shop where B Road Hunting Club merchandise will be sold.

Mr Little added: "We don’t want these non-issues to overcast what is a good thing.

"We are putting back into the local community.

"We want to buy local produce, employ local people, and turn the tired pub into the jewel in the crown of the village.

"The car community also needs an outlet.

"I don't think there is anywhere in Kent they can go without being shunned.

"There is a minority who ruin it for the majority, but that is the same anywhere.

"We’ve not taken this on lightly. We are the new owners for at least the next 20 years so it will be nice if people can give us a chance."