Bureaucracy could close pub garden

Government bureaucracy could mark the end of a Devon pub's Japanese garden.

The Fisherman's Cot at Bickleigh has been told to take down its new attraction by Environmental Agency officials.

They claim it should be demolished because of fears that if the river levels rise, they could destroy the wooden structures and wash them down stream. The move has caused uproar with pub owners Eldridge Pope and the managers of the site.

The garden was constructed on waste ground that had been an eyesore and within days of opening it became one of the Fisherman's crowd pulling attractions.

Managers Craig and Karen Holmes said: "From the day we reopened after the refurbishment the Japanese gardens were a big hit with everyone, young and old, for drinking and dining.

"It is a superb area where people feel so relaxed and at ease and we have been complimented time and time again on its appeal."

However, Craig and Karen have been told by the Environmental Agency that because the feature is officially on a 'Flood Plain' there is a danger during heavy rain and they have been given until mid October to remove the attraction.

Eldridge Pope chief executive Paul Beadle said: "It is a great shame that having gone to the trouble and expense of creating such an unusual and popular attraction we are being forced to remove it due to the remote possibility that in extreme circumstances it might wash down stream, in spite of being securely fixed in place.

"It was our opinion that the nearby bridge would act sufficiently as a dam to prevent the sort of water surges that could possibly dislodge the structures and their fixtures and stop them from floating off."