Members of the Guilden Morden community have been given a lifeline in their fight to restore their village pub.

Groups who wish to buy The Three Tuns pub in Guilden Morden have a month to come forward, after the current owners opted to sell it.

South Cambs District Council has launched a special six-week period where intention to bid for the pub can be registered.

If a group steps up before the deadline, it will then trigger a further period in which they can get together their business case and finances – and then submit a formal offer to the owners before February 1, 2018.

The former watering hole – which is more than 160 years old – was nominated for listing as an Asset of Community Value by Guilden Morden Parish Council in October 2014 under the Government’s rights and powers for communities as part of the 2011 Localism Act.

This gives community groups time to pull together detailed bids if a listed asset is put up for sale. However, the present owner does not have to accept any bid from community groups and, at the end of the six months, it can be sold on the open market.

Councillor Nick Wright, deputy leader of the district council, said: “The village clearly values the pub as it has been listed as an asset on our register. I am really pleased we are able to help communities have a genuine opportunity to take on local assets that they feel are important to village life.

“The vital thing is for groups to register their intention to bid in the next few weeks as this gives them the time to get funding and a formal offer in place before the sale is opened up to the market.”

The deadline for registering an interest in bidding for the pub is 5pm on Monday, September 11.

For more about the The Three Tuns’ proposed sale and opportunities to bid are available on South Cambridgeshire District Council’s website – www.scambs.gov.uk/community-right-bid.