A PUB that was reprieved after facing closure last year looks set to shut again.

However, regulars at the Captain Barnard are hoping that it will only be for a few weeks while a refit takes place.

Mitchells and Butlers bought the pub in Otterbourne Road, Compton, in 2006 from Whitbread.

It is the only watering hole in Compton, and the village was facing the prospect of being left without any last autumn.

Mitchells and Butlers, which owns around 2,000 bars, decided that the venue was surplus to requirements.

It put the pub on the market for an undisclosed sum, a move described by villagers as a "bolt out of the blue".

However, their fears that the pub would be redeveloped did not materialise, as it continued to trade.

Mitchells and Butlers are still the owners, but this week the firm would not be drawn on the venue's long-term future.

The pub is scheduled to close this weekend for a refit. However, the company has given no indication of when it might reopen.

It also declined to comment on whether the pub would retain its current character, or if it was in line for a major image makeover.

A company spokesman said their plans were being finalised, and more details would be made public next week.