A community group that has been raising funds to save its local pub has seen its hopes dashed as the owners have now withdrawn from the sales process and taken the property off the market.

The Friends of The Prince of Wales, Newtown St Martin group had been attempting to save The Prince of Wales Inn by offering owners a share offer, potentially worth up to £440,000.

The current owners of the pub had applied for planning permission to build two bungalows in what is currently the pub's car park, as well as an application for a change of use into a dwelling.

However, St Martin-in-Meneage Parish Council recommended for refusal all three applications, Indicating they would be open to a new submission should the dwellings be located beyond the original footprint of the pub.

Previously, the owners of The Prince of Wales had been open to the idea of the community group buying the property, but that seems to have now changed.

The pub posted the following statement on its social media channel: "It is with great regret that we are now withdrawing from the sales process with the Friends and taking our property off the market in order to explore other options.

"The approach of the committee from the start has been extremely and unnecessarily adversarial.

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"It has encouraged a great deal of untrue comments to be made on various platforms by some committee members and the wider community.

"Many of these are, at best, extremely hurtful."

The owners said they had taken legal advice over some of the comments adding: "For this reason, with immediate effect, we shall not be entering into any further negotiations with the committee to avoid any further escalation.

"Should any third party approach us with a substantiated offer for the Prince of Wales, then, as always, the offer will be considered."

Viki Carpenter, one of the Friends of The Prince of Wales, Newtown St Martin group's organisers told The Packet: "The Friends of the Newtown St Martin pub reiterate that they are in a strong position to raise the funds to buy the pub as a community pub, and we have a strong business plan and funding to support running that.

"As a community group, we had to oppose the planning application.

"Unfortunately, some members of the public have been upset on the council's planning portal, but we have no control over those comments."

The owners of The Prince of Wales pub have been contacted for comment.