The landlady of a Cross Roads pub has warned it could be bulldozed because its owner wants to sell it to property developers.

Gail Kellett, 54, licensee of the Cross Roads Inn, said she was dismayed when she learned the building could be demolished to make way for a food store.

She has now started a petition to try to save the building. "It's a part of the village and it's got quite a lot of character and history," she said.

"I've fallen in love with it and I think it's unbelievable that they might knock it down."

Gail, who has been the landlady of the inn for a year, said Copper Dragon Brewery in Skipton offered to buy the building and retain it as a pub.

But the pub's owners, Enterprise Inns, have instead decided to sell it to a property development firm which made a higher offer. Gail added she understood the buyers might try to build a food store on the site.

She said she started the petition to save the pub last week and was having it circulated in local shops. "I'm also trying to see if I can get the pub building listed so they can't bulldoze it," she said.

Gail added:"The pub could be a success if it was properly managed.

"It's had loads of different landlords in and out for years so there's been no stability."

Steve Taylor, managing director of Copper Dragon Brewery, said his company had unsuccessfully bid for the pub.

He said it wanted to spend £75,000 on renovating the building and turning it into a traditional inn.

He said if the favoured buyer failed to obtain planning permission to turn the pub into a shop, his brewery would still be interested in purchasing the building.

"Our original bid still stands we haven't closed the door on this one," he said.

A spokesman for Enterprise Inns confirmed the pub was for sale and that talks were taking place with a "prospective purchaser."

He said: "The property was approved for disposal by the Enterprise Inns board, having met several of the criteria required, more than 12 months ago.

"It has been actively and openly marketed for sale since then.

"With regards to planning applications for the pub, Enterprise has not made any application.

"Therefore we are unable to comment on proposed future plans for the development of this site."

Lynda Smith, chairman of the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale group, (CAMRA) said it would be a "sad loss" if the Cross Roads Inn disappeared.

She said she first heard about the planned closure at the beginning of last week.

"Any pub closing is a loss to the community," she said.

She said she was aware of a national trend of pubs closing down, through lack of custom.

She added the fact that a brewery had bid for the Cross Roads Inn showed people in the industry still thought it was viable.

If the property is demolished, it would become the second pub to be lost in the area this year.

The Quarry House pub and restaurant in Cross Roads closed in March with the loss of about 20 jobs.