A village pub near Farnham is back in business as it’s been snapped up by supporters following a very special round.

There was a very happy hour in The Sands as a party was held at The Barley Mow to celebrate its community takeover.

Villagers feared the taps had permanently run dry in March with Stonegate putting the pub on the market for £850,000.

But locals dug deep and showed plenty of Dutch courage, with more than 100 coughing up at least £1,200 to secure the pub’s future as a limited company.

There will also be some familiar faces behind the bar as legendary Elstead landlords Lee and Helen Francis of The Donkey fame are also onboard.

The Barley Mow will officially reopen initially as a “wet pub” in around a fortnight following a deep clean and minor kitchen renovation that will allow “great food” to be served in the long-term.

Gary Selby, who played a major part in the village takeover, is excited the community is taking “collective responsibility” for the watering hole.

He said: “It’s our pub and it will be fun because we will be doing it together for our pub.”

“The most important thing you can do is use the pub.

“If every investor comes to the pub just once a week with their family, has a few drinks, then our turnover will be greater than it was before the pub closed,” he added before villagers raised a glass to The Barley Mow.