Pub chain Fuller's has revealed that it will take 'some time' to re-open The Plough pub in East Sheen after it was 'totally stripped' by the Landlord.

The much-loved local has been at the centre of a row over its future after the company decided to take control following the expiry of a lease held by the Landlord, Tony O'Neill.

A campaign and petition by locals calling for Fuller's to extend the lease for Mr O'Neill has attracted around 1,400 signatures in a just few days.

Despite the groundswell of opinion, it is clear that Fuller's intends to go ahead with a decision to take over the running of pub, making it part of its Managed Estate.

Mr O'Neill left earlier this week and Fuller's say he effectively stripped the building and kitchens of all the fixtures and fittings. As a result, they say it will take some time to re-fit it, making it fit to welcome back customers.

There have been rumours that the beer garden alongside the pub, which is central to its appeal, would have to close because it is not part of the Freehold of the property.

It has been suggested that the garden is owned by Mr O'Neill. However, Fuller's insists it is actually owned by Richmond Borough Council through its Highways department and the company hopes it will be allowed to continue to utilise this area.

Fuller's said it made clear when it acquired The Plough in East Sheen just over a decade ago, that it did so on the basis it would become part of it Managed Estate when the lease came to an end.

A spokesman said: "We've waited patiently and that day has now arrived. It is an outstanding pub and we look forward to seeing it flourish under our tenure in the future.

"We were hoping for a quick and smooth handover, but as the pub has been totally stripped, we have a lot of work to do and that is going to take some time.

"We are excited about getting the pub reopened in due course and delivering an outstanding customer experience to the great and good of East Sheen and beyond, and interested parties can monitor our progress and register for updates at www.plougheastsheen.co.uk."

She added: "We understand that the previous Tenant has taken on a new pub and the team from The Plough have gone with him and we would like to take this opportunity to wish them every success in the future.

"We look forward to being part of the East Sheen community and if anyone has questions or concerns about an existing booking at The Plough, please contact [email protected] and we will do everything possible to accommodate the booking in another Fuller's pub."

Fuller's was only granted an emergency transfer of the drinks license to run the pub earlier this week.

An early planning application for The Plough, posted at the building, suggested the company would make significant changes to the way it operates with extended hours and new music, TV sport and other forms of entertainment. This upset many neighbours of the property.

However, Fuller's said these proposals have now been withdrawn and it intends to run the pub in exactly the same way as in the past.

The spokesman said: "The garden area is a lovely feature of the pub and we very much hope that Richmond Council will allow us to continue using it.

"The consent to transfer the existing premises licence from the previous tenant was only received yesterday afternoon. We are accordingly withdrawing the new licensing application we made. Although the application submitted was wide ranging we have no intention of operating the pub differently."

The comments are designed to offer reassurance to campaigners, who have accused Fuller's of being heavy-handed and trying to turn The Plough into an identikit chain pub rather than a community local.

The petition criticising Fuller's decision not to allow the landlord to extend the lease was posted on the change.org website by East Sheen Conservative councillor, Brian Marcel. A number of locals have suggested they will boycott the pub if it is changed by Fuller's.

One customer complained: "The Plough is a brilliant local pub…with a very popular landlord, managers and staff…The thought of it becoming just another cog in Fuller's wheel and losing its individuality leaves a bitter taste."

Another said: "It would be a tragedy to see such a great enterprise fall under the soulless corporate banner of Fullers."