IN the week that CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) launched its Community Pub Foundation to encourage locals to buy their local, one village on Herefordshire's border showed how it should be done.

Six Grosmont residents learned two weeks ago their £250,000 purchase of the Angel Inn had been completed - and immediately moved in to get the pub ready for its new life.

An unsettled period had left the Angel on a downward spiral, apparently destined for the inevitable conversion to a house or, worse in some eyes, sale to a chain or would-be gastropub owner, when Witek Mintowt-Czyz came up with a plan to mount a community buy-out.

"But when the pub was finally put on the market, there wasn't enough time to execute the original plan, which would have involved possibly hundreds of people taking a small share, with villagers only having voting shares," Witek explained.

"So I approached a few people I thought might be in a position to put in capital."

The six self-styled "Angel white knights" have brought a combination of valuable expertise to the enterprise.

Witek provided the impetus, vision and confidence to get the plan off the ground; Oliver Huntsman, director of a private equity firm, used his business acumen to make it a workable plan, while Martin Cull and Rob Barker, with their experience in the building trade, ensured a rapid makeover for the pub.

They are joined by Jenny Pile, whose late husband, David, was a great fan of the Angel: "David always maintained the Angel was one of the reasons we moved to the village 26 years ago," she said.

Martin Cull, who has lived in Grosmont for more than 10 years, said: "It's a good pub and I've had great times in here.

"The pub is very important to the village and I didn't want it to close."

Oliver Huntsman is keen to emphasise the seriousness of the undertaking: "It's not a plaything," he says.

"It's a real financial project and has to stand on its own financial feet. Profits will be ploughed back in to ensure the pub's survival for the community and improve it as an amenity."

James Daley, CAMRA's regional director for Wales, was delighted when he learned of the buyout: "It's great to see a local community taking an active part in supporting their local pub.

Despite having six names above the door, the pub will be run day-to-day by Jamie-Lee Cornish, whose first big job will be to oversee the official re-launch of the pub on Saturday.