Five thousand back iconic music pub

Five thousand signatures have been collected in a bid to stop an iconic London music pub being turned into 'trendy' apartments.

The historic Intrepid Fox, which has become a focal point of the rock music scene, is to be turned into 'trendy' apartments.

The threat to the pub in Soho - where legend has it Mick Jagger persuaded Ronnie Wood to join his band - has prompted 5,000 drinkers and music fans to start a campaign to save it.

I was given a week's notice to vacate the place with the understanding that a property developer has purchased the building.​Manager Patrick Begent.

Mitchells & Butlers, say it is one in a package of 21 pubs across the city that were sold last month for £53m.

Manager Patrick Begent, who has been running the 200-year-old pub for 15 years, says its loss would be a real blow.

He told the BBC:"I was given a week's notice to vacate the place with the understanding that a property developer has purchased the building."​

"Its devastating.

"The Fox is an integral part of the alternative music scene in London and one of the few remaining."

In a bid to save the pub, regulars have collected 5,000 signatures in nine days.

Their campaign looks doomed but Begent said the spirit of the Fox will live on in another venue.

"We'll ensure the Fox survives the hunt,"​ he said.