VILLAGERS in South Hinksey were joined by their MP on Saturday to raise a glass to their new pub.

The General Elliot is set to open before Christmas but new owners Cass and Helen Hazlewood invited villagers and Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood for a drink to celebrate.

The General Elliot won Oxford CAMRA’s pub of the year award in 2007 and 2008, but closed in 2009 after the landlord left.

Ms Blackwood said: “The pub is often the heart of the community and it has been standing closed for far too long now.

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“It is going to be such a thriving pub and you can tell that by the number of people who are here today as well as the fact they have had to fight quite hard to keep it.”

Residents successfully fought several attempts to redevelop the site for residential use.

The last application was to build houses on its car park and was withdrawn in August 2013.

Planning permission for it to be used as a pub was granted by Vale of White Horse District Council earlier this month.

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