A campaign to stop Tesco moving into a Broads village pub has been launched at a special meeting.

The supermarket giant hopes to move into the Ram pub, in Brundall, by reviving a planning application for an extension on the pub which was granted in 1993.

Meeting in the Ram on Wednesday, the campaigners collected their first petitions asking for the views of people in the village.

And the head of Broadland District Council – the authority which will either grant or refuse Tesco the right to use the planning permission from 1993 – was in the pub to support the campaign.

Andrew Proctor said: 'I've written to Tesco and Enterprise Inns to say that the Ram is not a failing pub. There has been a lack of investment in there for many years. Brundall already has an established business community centred in the village.'

The petition called Stand Up for Brundall asks for views both for and against Tesco and has gathered 850 responses since January 1. It is now in stores throughout the village.

John Wake, campaign coordinator said: 'We don't think the village warrants another supermarket. I think it will have a serious impact on existing businesses there and split the village in two.'

A spokesman for Tesco said their stores were extremely popular and plans for the Ram were only in their early stages.

Enterprise Inns said that from 'time to time' it identified a pub which was 'unable to deliver an appropriate level of sustainable income' and then reviewed its options for the site.

There will be a public meeting about the Ram pub at the Memorial Hall on Links Avenue in Brundall at 2pm on Saturday, January 12.

The Evening News has been encouraging people to use their local pubs through our Love Your Local campaign. To see more stories from the campaign visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk