local historian Peter Garnett has called for every effort to be made to preserve the faade of Ledbury's Seven Stars pub, which was destroyed by a fire a fortnight ago.

Mr Garnett, a trustee of the Ledbury and District Society Trust, said: "It's absolutely vital to the townscape and to restore it, if only visually, will keep the townscape right."

Mr Garnett, of Wellington Heath, said that according to his research the Grade II listed building first became a public house in 1526.