INVESTIGATIONS are being carried out into whether the Duke of Marlborough pub in Studley should be listed.

Village councillor Bill McCarthy applied to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for a listing because the Alcester Road pub is under threat from developers wanting to build flats.

He has been assured by the Government department that English Heritage were investigating whether it should be protected and would let him know as soon as it reaches a conclusion.

The planning application for the flats will not be assessed this month but may appear on the Arden Area planning committee agenda in December.

Many residents have reacted angrily to the threat of bulldozers, saying the building is a valuable part of the village's heritage.

The pub was built in 1730 and was once a coaching inn.