A former estate agent of more than 10 years has taken a leap of faith to save his village pub as he ‘couldn’t bear to see it as anything other than a thriving local’.

David Dobson is set to relaunch the Coach and Horses in Oxford Road, Sutton Scotney on Friday after taking on the pub with his partner, Brenda White, just two weeks ago.

Mr Dobson first became involved with the pub shortly after Christmas when he started helping out behind the bar a few nights a week as something to 'fill the evenings' while it was under previous management.

With the pub falling into disrepair, and several issues having been raised by regulators about the state of the building, the former landlords recently decided to up sticks and walk away, leaving the village taphouse in what looked to be a perilous position.

Describing a whirlwind few weeks for the pair, Mr Dobson, from Hunton, said: “I'd had a few people say to me, ‘well, why don’t you take it on and have a go at running it, you must have picked up a few things about managing a pub’.

“And I think it was around a fortnight or so ago me and my partner just decided we were going to go for it. So, I gave my job up, we rallied everyone who said they’d help, worked out what everyone needed to do and since then it has been all systems go.

“Now I’m getting closer to 50 this is a nice change of career and lifestyle, and it’s something me and Brenda can do together and hopefully enjoy as well.”

Since embarking on the new venture, Mr Dobson has been supported by several village residents who have all pitched in to help give the pub a new lease of life.

He said: “Everything needed doing, the place looked as if it had been burgled when the old managers left. There are four bedrooms upstairs, none of which you could have even opened the door to. The front sign had basically fallen off, the garden was covered in glass and cigarette butts - it was really spit and sawdust. There was an awful lot of work which needed to be done.

“But what’s really nice is that it’s the locals doing it, the community are all stepping in. The pub hasn’t historically been run to the best it could be, so we’ve sat down and had a few meetings with people from the area, and from that we’ve had offers from tradesmen, handymen and even people who’ve come and cut the grass.

“All those people will own a part of this pub, even if it is just emotionally. We’ve put our name on the door if you like, but during this process those who have come in have been able to suggest things which they’d like to see in their local, and even if it’s little tweaks we’ve worked together to make that happen.”

Mr Dobson says the menu has also undergone a drastic makeover, with a shift from largely frozen produce to fresh, seasonal ingredients and homemade pub classics.

He’s also hired a new chef who’s specially trained in the art of pastry making and has more than 21 years’ experience in the industry.

The grand reopening of the new-look Coach and Horses is on Good Friday, when Mr Dobson and his partner will be opening the doors at 5pm for welcome drinks and a chance to meet the team.

The new menu will be on offer all day Saturday, with Hampshire roast lamb being served up across Easter Sunday and Monday. A bouncy castle will also in place throughout the weekend.