Drinkers are on a mission to pull pints in their own boozer by opening a community pub.

The idea is to create a place in South Norwood where everyone feels welcome, serving food, quality beers and wines and promoting musicians by having live music nights.

Run on a similar model to London’s first co-operatively owned pub, the Ivy House in Nunhead, people will be able to buy shares in it and have a say in how it is run.

The South Norwood Community Pub group (SNCP) is looking for a suitable site for the project and may start with a temporary place in the High Street to let people know what it is all about.

SNCP spokeswoman Rose Bartlett said: "There is a feeling that there isn’t really anywhere for people to go in the area unless you are a Palace fan.

"So many of our beautiful older pubs are being ripped out and turned into flats and we want to halt that.

"We want somewhere that every single part of the community can have a stake in.

"This has to be a pub for the community.

"It cannot just be a pub for the young professionals that have moved into the area.

"We have a long way to go yet but we are really hoping.

"This is one area sadly lacking, the football pubs are great but they are not really catering for most of the community.

"If you go to Crystal Palace there is such a great selection of pubs and we have nothing like that in the area.

"We want it to be a pub for people in South Norwood, we do not want to be a carbon copy of Crystal Palace."

The group is steadily growing in support and Mrs Bartlettt said more members are always welcome.

Anyone who wants to join the group can go to www.southnorwoodcommunitypub.co.uk for more details about how to get involved.