A Welsh pub which featured in every edition of the Good Beer Guide for 35 years has closed.
The Cherry Tree in Tintern shut its doors three weeks ago after sales dropped by more than 50% since September.
The owners, Steve and Jill Pocock, blame local council bureaucracy for the outcome. After a long campaign with Monmouthshire planning department over an A- sign on the main road, Steve Pocock eventually received a court summons, and a six-month suspended sentence.
When the sign was removed, sales dropped. Pocock said: "They hounded us out of the Cherry Tree. It's a sad story for the pub and for the village because we took great pride in it."
Pocock, who owned the freehold pub for eight years, said he would love to see the Cherry Tree continue trading in the future.
He said: "I would be delighted if someone were to walk in tomorrow with an offer and keep the Cherry Tree going."
The couple have since taken over the Anchor Inn, owned by Punch Taverns, and are once again being harassed by the council. Pocock said: "We've been here for two weeks and already we've had environmental health and planning over. We have also been told that
the signs on the premises must be altered too.
"No other business in the village has been told to remove their boards and signs. It's very upsetting for us."