A South Warwickshire pub which was destroyed by a fire at the start of 2022 will not reopen, despite the efforts by locals to save it.

The Crabmill in Preston Bagot has been closed since February last year when a kitchen fire saw the venue go up in flames.

Owner Brunning and Price announced recently it would not be reopening the Warwick Road pub, due to the huge costs involved.

And while some 1,200 people have signed a petition backing the pub to reopen, a company spokesperson told Nub News there would be no change of mind on the plans.

"Working with the insurers, planning consultants and designers we attempted to pull together suitable plans to reinstate the Crabmill," they said.

"Due to current economic pressures, the cost of rebuilding has inflated significantly over recent months, and we feel that we could not now successfully replace what we had lost.

"This is not a decision that was taken lightly, the Crabmill was a much-loved pub to us as well as the local community.

"It was a 'heart' versus 'head' judgement and despite spending a lot of time considering all possible options, and having a genuine desire to rebuild the pub, we can't make it work.

"We are aware of the petition but we are afraid it will not change our decision."

Brunning and Price said it is yet to make a decision on what will happen to the pub going forward.

Organisers behind the petition to save the pub wrote: "As a local community and clientele who used the pub, we are hoping to get enough support to show this is an asset of community value.

"This would guarantee 'us' a seat at the bidding table and six months to assemble a bid which would then mean it would give the bidder the opportunity to purchase the site to restore it to the beautiful pub it once was.

"If you would like to see the Crabmill restored to a pub, please sign this petition and forward it on to any other supporters."

The fire last February saw nine crews from fire stations in Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire called to the scene.