Pub landlord says he will be homeless after eviction

Keith Marsden has been running pubs for more than 20 years

A landlord has said he will be homeless after the building's owners decided to get someone else in to run his village pub.

More than 900 people have signed a petition in an attempt to stop the Stonegate Group removing Keith Marsden from the Granville Arms in Barford, Warwickshire.

Mr Marsden said he had poured his heart into the pub but added the Stonegate Group had increased his rent and later issued him an eviction notice.

The Stonegate Group said the pub had been let on a temporary agreement with minimal rent and they had been "unable to negotiate a more sustainable position" after discussions with Mr Marsden.

Mr Marsden, who has been in the pub industry for more than 20 years and at the Granville Arms for nine months, said he had to leave by Monday.

He said he did not know where to live and all his belongings would be placed into shipping containers.

Pete Bevington said Mr Marsden had done "so much" in the short time he had been at the pub

Pub regulars said since Mr Marsden took over the Granville Arms had been made into a place that they had "craved for so many years" with it holding language clubs, coffee mornings and music events.

They also said Mr Marsden had saved a popular village eatery by letting it use the pub's kitchens.

Pete Bevington has visited the pub for 10 years and said Mr Marsden had done so much in the short time he had been there.

"He started from scratch and what you see today is hard work and we're gonna really miss that," he said.

Jackie Lovell (left) regularly visits the pub with her friends and family

Jackie Lovell has been drinking in the Granville Arms for more than 40 years and had her wedding at the pub.

She said Mr Marsden had asked the community what they wanted when he opened the pub and said she was "very disappointed" to see him leave.

"It's a cracking pub, we've had some great times here," she added.

The Granville Arms has been described as the hub of Barford by residents

The Stonegate Group said as a result of not being able to come to an agreement with Mr Marsden, an exit date was agreed and a new publican was found.

"We were obviously disappointed we were not able to reach an agreement {with Mr Marsden}, but our new publican has ambitious plans for the pub.

"We are confident it will remain very much at the heart of the local community long into the future," a spokesperson said.