An 'opening soon banner' which was put up outside an historic pub in Hampton, has been stolen.

Robert Lee, founder of campaign group Save the Dip, told Nub News that an 'opening soon' banner had been put up outside the pub on Friday night (19 June) and by the following morning, it had been stolen.

He said: "The offence was picked up on CCTV and the footage has been passed to the police."

The future of The Railway Bell, which dates back to the 19th century and is affectionately known as 'The Dip', was hanging in the balance after popular landlord Seamus O'Kane died in April 2024.

Owner Stonegate Group, which runs more than 4,500 venues in the UK, put the pub on the market for £1m with estate agents Savills last year.

Since its closure, locals, led by Robert Lee, have been rallying to save the pub by launching a campaign group called 'Save the Dip' in the hope of raising funds to buy the pub from Stonegate.

The pub has now been bought by an unknown businessman and is set to open soon.