PUB landlady Janet Southorn has split the village of Erlestoke with plans to turn tourist accommodation into business lets at the George and Dragon.

Mrs Southorn has been at daggers drawn with Erlestoke Parish Council since she and her husband Andy tried to get permission to turn the pub into a house after they failed to make a go of the business.

Attempts to persuade Wiltshire Council to allow the change were rejected and the Southorns turned down an offer put forward by Erlestoke Hub, a group set up to buy the pub as a community asset.

Now Mrs Southorn, who has been camping out on the top floor of the pub since they closed it for business 20 months ago, is hoping Wiltshire Council will allow the tourist accommodation to be let to a wider range of client.

She said: "I have a lot of backing from people in the village which gives me heart."

But she is angry that the parish council reported that the bed and breakfast units were being used as permanent lets to Wiltshire Council and this led to enforcement action.

She is also upset that her elderly mother, who suffers from dementia, has been made to feel more vulnerable after the parish council told Wiltshire that she was using part of the downstairs of the pub which is prohibited under planning rules.

Mrs Southern said: "All we did was to put up a bit of partition so she could sleep downstairs. It is not a permanent structure and would be easy to take down. Now she is worried that she will have to go into a home."

The latest planning application has had a mixed reception from villagers. A number have written to object but others have supported the change and said accommodation was badly needed.

Mark Foster, who lives in the High Street and is also a member of Erlestoke Hub, wrote: "I strongly object to this variation as it will allow the owners to keep the pub shut, while still earning a living from the premises."

Mr Foster said this week that the hub had increased its offer for the pub to £250,000 but the Southorns wanted to impose a covenant on the sale that would prevent it being turned into a house at a later stage.

He said: "I remain optimistic we will be able to resolve this. All we want is to save the pub for the village."