THE landlord of the threatened Frog Hall pub has made a passionate plea to his regulars to fight to keep it open.

In a statement to the Evening Press, Wayne Allan has wished luck to the campaigners and called on them to tell the council planning committee "what you want".

Owners Enterprise Inns are selling the York pub to developers keen to build a drive-through McDonalds restaurant on the site.

"The final decision on the fate of the Frog Hall lies in the hands of the planning committee of the City of York Council," he said Mr Allan.

"This is your city, not theirs. Tell them what you, the residents, want before we all end up drinking in Bar 38 etc.

"Before we took over this pub we were on and off regulars in the Frog Hall for 22 years," he said.

"It has always in that time had a strong community feel to it. This is one of the factors that made us sell up our home, give up our jobs, and uproot our two small children to take over the running of the pub."

He said that in January he was told by Enterprise Inns that the pub could be sold and took only a temporary lease.

"We cannot fault the help and support we have received from them since we entered into the business, therefore we feel that any campaigning against closure should be pointed in the right direction," he said.

"Should, come summer, we find ourselves moving on due to yet another thoughtless council decision we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff, customers, friends and family for all the fantastic help and support they have given us during our time here."

In a dig at McDonalds, he also jokingly suggested that a fast food system is being set up at the pub, where regulars should "drive round the car park three or four times before pulling up at the side window."

He suggests they could then order double burger and chips which would be served to them in a brightly coloured box "which you could then throw into the River Foss".

A petition for supporters to sign is available at the bar in the Frog Hall.