VILLAGERS at Hollesley have today been told that it is hoped their pub will re-open as soon as possible.The Shepherd and Dog has been closed because landlord Reginald Hawkins has lost his licence to run the venue.

VILLAGERS at Hollesley have today been told that it is hoped their pub will re-open as soon as possible.

The Shepherd and Dog has been closed because landlord Reginald Hawkins has lost his licence to run the venue.

Mr Hawkins, 46, failed to secure a renewal of his licence after ignoring repeated police warnings about the way he ran the pub, and then lost an appeal at crown court over the refusal.

The court's main concerns were that people were still being served after 11pm and that there were still customers in the pub after 11.20pm.

Since the appeal, Woodbridge Police have been liaising with the Shepherd and Dog's owners Punch Taverns to ensure the pub re-opens as soon as possible.

Pc Andy Warne, community police officer for Hollesley, said he hoped the venue would re-open in the very near future.

He said:"We appreciate the pub is at the heart of the community and want to see it re-opened as quickly as possible.

"We have a very successful working relationship with many local publicans, who appreciate the need to balance business with wider community issues, and we look forward to working with new tenants in the future."

Punch Taverns hoped the pub would remain closed for only a short time until a temporary occasional licence had been obtained for a landlord, and steps would then be taken to find someone to take over the pub on a permanent basis.