A SMALL fire at the White Hart in Calne failed to dampen the spirits of fundraisers who were hoping to raise more than £2,000 for the Royal British Legion.

Although a fire crew was called to the pub in London Road on Monday, the small chimney fire was extinguished by a woman selling poppies to punters at 3pm.

Landlord Rebecca Leaning said: "It was just a little leak around where the grouting had come away from the wall and there was about a one inch flame. It was really nothing at all and one of the ladies doing the Poppy Appeal threw a pitcher of water over it and it went out."

The pub, which is a proud supporter of the Royal British Legion, has been busy raising money for the Poppy Appeal with a bring and buy sale that has currently taken over the dining room.

"Our whole dining room has been turned into a pop up bring and buy sale and it is fantastic. I know we can raise so much more and half the people who come into the pub bring something for the sale and every single person buys something. It is working out really well and we will end it on Friday.

"We have been here for just over three years and in our first year we raised £46 and some small change and in our second year we raised over £400 and we were awarded a shield from the Royal British Legion for the independent business in Calne who had raised the most money and last year we raised £2011. We are really hoping we can beat that this year."

Inspired by her family's own military past in America and her husband David's service in the Royal Signals, Mrs Leaning wants to raise as much money as possible for the charity and continue to be a hub for servicemen in the town.

"My family have a strong military background and you just grow up respecting them and all servicemen deserve respect. I really wanted a big beautiful poppy and I could not find a custom one so I decided to make my own and David made all of the black centres.

"It took us about two months to do and now we just put a few poppies up every year and people are proud of it because they can see it in their own town."

The White Hart will also be hosting a free buffet for servicemen in uniform following the Remembrance service in the town.