A community meeting will take place on Monday (March 7) to discuss the possible purchase of the Lion pub in Ramsey St Mary's.

The meeting proposal is for the pub to become a community-owned facility with shares on offer for everyone who wishes to purchase them, and the meeting will help gauge the public's level of interest in the plan.

Micky O'Donoghue, who was once a short-term tenant at the pub and lives in the village, came up with the idea for the community to buy the pub after it closed.

Micky said: "The pub's been shut for a couple of years, I believe, and a lot of people in the village said to me, why don’t you do something or can’t you get it back.

“I’m amazed at the response we are getting; Next week will be interesting to see how many people turn up, you just don’t know, do you, but it is something that I think can be done.

"From the response I’ve had, I’m very hopeful. I’ve had loads of messages from people, and it’s been incredible. I’m quite shocked as it happens.”

The meeting will take place at 7:30pm at the Ramsey Community Centre, and everyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

At the meeting, Micky hopes to have support from the Mayor of Ramsey, Cllr Steve Corney and town councillors.

Micky has also enlisted the help of the Plunkett Foundation, which provide practical support training, financial advice, legal advice to help communities run successful businesses with long-term survival rates.

Whilst Micky said he wouldn't be involved in running of the pub if it is acquired, he said: “It would be fantastic for the village, it’s the only pub left in the village, and if you made it a community family local there are loads of things you could do with it as a community hub.

"You could do coffee mornings, mother and baby mornings; you could do all sorts of stuff.

"It would be an ideal opportunity for the community. It will create jobs in the area, and you keep the jobs local.”