Members of the Royal British Legion are celebrating after the Norwich branch's Aylsham Road social club was saved.

The club closed unexpectedly in November after the Legion's head office withdrew the licence for the leaseholders to use their name. It will reopen in mid-January – though it will not be allowed to sell alcohol.

Ernie Green, chairman of the Norwich branch of the Legion, which owns the Aylsham Road building, said: 'The branch is reopening the club for community use. It's likely to be called the RBL centre and we will be holding monthly meetings for our 400 members and putting on more social events for members.

'We will have the full entertainment licence back but cannot sell alcohol as we are a charity and not allowed to make a profit.'

He said they were also holding preliminary talks with Age UK Norwich/Norfolk to use it as an advice centre and also said that the Legion would try to honour those events booked by people and groups for next year.

The lack of a drinks licence has annoyed some members, including Reg Woods, 75, who said: 'What's the use of it reopening if you cannot have a pint there? We won't bother going there. We have since joined the Wensum community centre, along with many others.'