The East Anglian Daily Times has launched a fight to safeguard the future of Britain's smallest pub.

The Nutshell in Bury St Edmunds - which measures just 15ft by 7ft - is currently under threat, with landlord Martin Baylis struggling to make ends meet after the local council refused an application to put six tables and chairs outside the historic venue.

It had been hoped that the extra seating would boost custom, and it could be forced to close if a second application is refused.

EADT deputy editor Dominic Castle said: "The pub is one of the attractions of Bury town centre and we want to see it kept safe.

"Bury is undergoing a lot of changes and redevelopment which is quite controversial.

"We've published coupons in the paper every day this week for readers to sign and return and we've had a good response with hundreds returned already.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the responses we've had have been positive and no one wants to see it go."

The newspaper has also published campaign posters, which have been distributed to shops and newsagents for locals to pin up and show their support.

Four special post boxes have also been set up by the paper around the town, including one at the paper's Woolhall Street office in Bury, which readers can use to deliver their views.

The Nutshell attracts visitors from all over the world to the Suffolk town and has been an inn for 131 years.

It is hoped that a second application to put outdoor seating along the frontage of The Nutshell will be approved if enough people pledge their support to the paper's campaign.

A decision is expected in September.

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