More than 70 concerned villagers have signed a petition to stop a former run-down pub being turned into flats.

Proposals are in place to change Oxford House, in Upper Holt Street, Earls Colne, into two self-contained flats.

A planning application has been submitted to Braintree Council to convert the ground floor of the conference cente and reception rooms, which used to be the Carved Angel pub, into flats and to build a detached two-storey house in the car park.

This week a petition with 72 signatures was handed in to Braintree Council before the consultation period ended.

Fifteen people also wrote objection letters to the council.

See this week's Halstead Gazette for the full story.