A company that owns a troubled pub says it is “keen to get it open as soon as possible” but villagers are leaving nothing to chance.

Metal shutters now cover the windows and doors of The Bull Inn at East Farleigh near Maidstone after it shut suddenly last year.

The pub, which belongs to the Stonegate Group, was home to a petting zoo and last served customers in September.

In November, it was revealed that it was under investigation following animal welfare concerns.

It has remained closed ever since, leading to residents, who fear it could be turned into flats, getting together for a meeting last week in an effort to save it.

East Farleigh Parish Council has applied for it to be designated an Asset of Community Value (ACV) which would protect it from development.

After the meeting, a working group has also been set up to look at ideas to safeguard the venue.

Parish councillor David Hussein, who is a member of the group along with Deborah Abbott, Barry Older and Adam Palmer, said there had been concerns about the way the pub had been run - but people were mainly worried about its future.

“We had complaints over noise, over the events they were holding and the animal welfare concerns.

“We also noticed though it was closed for some time no new tenants took it on so we asked the owners what their intentions are.

“They said the intention was to find new tenants but couldn’t rule out the development of the site.

“Our main concern is a pub which has been here for hundreds of years will be developed.”

More than 40 people attended the meeting at Coxheath Primary school on Wednesday, July 19 to discuss how they could help the pub reopen.

Ideas ranged from buying the building with funds provided for community projects via Central Government, to running it as a community pub or opening it as a shop.

Mr Hussein said: “The preferred choice would be to purchase the pub but the owners currently have no intention of selling.

“But the working group are still looking into having their first meeting in case the opportunity arises again to run it.”

It is understood that it took Stonegate until December to regain legal possession of the building.

This week, a Stonegate Group spokesman said: “We are keen to get the Bull Inn open as soon as possible for the local community to enjoy.

“We are in the process of recruiting a tenant and would be keen to further explore any opportunity with the parish council and urge them to contact us as soon as possible if they are looking to get involved with the premises.”

Meanwhile, Maidstone council said its animal welfare investigation was continuing “to decide whether further action is necessary”.

However, after council officers and police visited in November it had concluded “there were no animals at risk at the property at that time”.