The article "Villagers fight to keep pub" (The Argus, January 7) touched a very raw nerve in Piddinghoe village.

I was incensed to read that a spokesman from Lewes District Council said "planners had a policy to ensure villages retained their facilities, such as pubs and shops".

Nonsense. Our Royal Oak fell victim to an arson attack in 1994 and was sold to a developer who was granted planning permission to convert the property into a dwelling in 1996/7.

The site had deteriorated but if it had been professionally and consistently marketed I am sure a commercial buyer would have been found.

Readers may remember our desperate fight to save the pub.

Many wrote letters of support, some pledged finance for our village consortium and local builders offered their labour free.

Sadly, we failed in our bid to find a suitable landlord to come into partnership with us. Our scheme collapsed.

We now have to turn our village hall in to a pub.

We have 12 occasional permissions a year granted by the licensing justices.

It's a poor substitute but it is well supported and popular with villagers of all ages.

I am sure if Tom Dusty of the Ditchling Society sends us a petition to sign, many of us would pledge our support to those fighting the battles we lost and help to save The Sandrock of Ditchling.

-Angie Ridge, Licensee, The Royal Oak Survivors, Piddinghoe