A PETITION has been set up to help save a much loved pub from possible closure.

The Argus previously revealed that The Battle of Trafalgar, in Guildford Road, Brighton, will be closed temporarily in November after more than 34 years in business.

The pub, which is currently being leased out to Mel Heath, will be taken back by the EI Group, the company that owns it, for them to run themselves.

The lease is officially up on November 28 but Mel said the company may choose to take it back from her sooner in order to start refurbishment work.

Now a petition has been set up to “save” the pub from “whatever fate may lie in store for it”.

The page was set up by Lizzi Humphreys and at the time of writing has attracted more than 2,500 signatures.

On the petition Lizzi wrote: “The pub is very much part of the community – a community centre, in fact.

“It’s a small local business that has been grown by people who know and love the area.

“They have developed a clientele that reflects the diversity of the city centre – a clientele that actually talk to each other.

“This has been achieved by years of serving good food, good drink and simply being nice to people.

“This is all about to be swept away in a corporate makeover.

“We’ve seen a lot of these makeovers in Brighton and most of them have resulted in characterless pubs that are as empty as they are bland.

“We [customers] do not seem to matter to them which is why I have started this petition to voice our concerns.”

Mel, who has run the pub for 14 years, said she is devastated to be saying goodbye to it.

She said: “It’s very emotional.

“It’s my baby, it’s been my life for a long time and now it won’t stay as it is.

“Our patrons have loved the fact that it is a traditional pub and unfortunately it won’t be retained as that.

“I don’t think anyone understands that for any locals who are lonely this is where they come to meet their friends.

“It might be the only time they socialise.

“I have regulars that come in at the same time every day or night.

“I didn’t have a say in it.

“There is no objection I can make.

“It’s very hard to accept.”

To see the petition online visit change.org.