“IN seven days, the Seven Stars will march to Marston’s” was the message given to those protesting about the closure of the popular Sedgley pub.

At a public meeting held in the Gospel End Road establishment yesterday evening (Tuesday, August 4), it was agreed that those against the pub’s closure will protest outside the gates of Marston’s, in Wolverhampton, if the company refuse to meet with UKIP ward councillor Bill Etheridge.

Cllr Etheridge organised the public meeting following the Planning Inspectorate overturning Dudley Council’s decision to refuse Marston’s planning permission to extend the pub as part of proposals to turn it into a Morrisons food store.

This decision was made despite a successful campaign to secure the pub Asset of Community Value (ACV) status.

Cllr Etheridge said he has sent letters demanding meetings with the chief executives of Marston’s and Morrisons and if he does not receive a response by next Tuesday (August 11) then the protesters will take their fight to the companies head offices.

“We’ve passed the last chance saloon,” he said at the meeting. “If we play by the rules of the game and just stick to the rules then it’s over.

“If they decide they are not going to see me, then we have to take more assertive action. We will organise a protest of ale drinkers, people who don’t like corporations telling us what to do and an assortment of souls from the Black Country and we can stand outside there and protest.

“We can either give up, which I don’t want to do, or we can fight. But the fight won’t be through the normal procedures, regulations and rules which applied before, it will be through sheer bloody mindedness, Sedgley spirit and not taking no for an answer.

“We’ve got to stop playing by the rules, because the rules are rigged by the big businesses against us.

“If we don’t take extreme, tough action then we’ve lost and this place will be yet another supermarket. All the local shops will regret it, traffic will be a nightmare and we won’t have a place to have a pint.

“From now on there’s no niceness, we’ve got to come across as unreasonable. We’ll get leaflets out and make sure everyone knows. Let’s stop taking the rubbish and let’s kick off.”

Cllr Etheridge, who is also a West Midlands MEP, urged those at the meeting to “bombard” Marston’s and Morrisons with emails demanding a meeting as well as start another petition, following a previous lobby which saw more than 2,500 signatures from the local community.

A member of public present at the meeting claimed staff have been told the pub will close regardless on September 7.