BEER lovers are campaigning to turn pubs into community assets to slow down the rate of bar closures.

Members of the Darlington branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) headed to Barnard Castle yesterday (Saturday, May 9) for their monthly meeting.

During the visit they spoke to local people about the creation of community pubs, one of Camra’s key campaigns.

The system works by 21 people signing up with the local council saying they will support the idea of a pub as a community asset.

This then triggers a short period to allow for more detailed plans to be drawn up, which Camra sees as a way to stop the sudden closure of struggling pubs.

Those who initially sign up do not have to buy the pub, but by lodging the business as a community asset it allows residents the chance to buy the property.

Dave Till, treasurer of the Darlington Camra branch, said: “This is one of Camra’s key campaigns and we were keen to support it.

“It can be used to put restrictions in place as to what a pub owner can and can’t do.

“In Barnard Castle the White Swan pub closed and we were not able to stop it. We might have been able to with this scheme.

“We had a successful day and this is all about protecting pubs.”

Details on the community asset scheme can be found online at camra.org.uk