The Kynnersley Arms, Leighton. Pictures by Mark Booth.

A circular razor wire has been put around a boarded up Shropshire pub amid repeated attempts to vandalise and steal from the building.

The Kynnersley Arms in Leighton closed nearly a year ago when a licensee could not be found to take it on.

Residents in the village, between Shrewsbury and Telford, had to watch the historic building, which houses a water mill dating back to the Domesday book, be boarded up.

But the building has become a target for thieves who have tried to steal lead from the roof.

And it has forced the police to take action and put the wire around the building.

Leighton and Eaton Constantine parish council clerk, Roger Pittaway, today said: “We had a visit from local police officer Dave Harte at the last meeting who said they are consistently being called out to the Kynnersley Arms which is still heavily boarded up.

“It is open to attack, in their words, while it is unoccupied.

“They have now had to resort to putting razor wire around it.”

Mr Pittaway said although the pub is on the main road people get behind it and cannot be seen, which causes a number of problems.

“It is a major headache for the village,” he added.

Parish councillor Malcolm Corrie, of the Leighton Estate, is currently trying to get the lease on the building in a bid to get it re-opened but Mr Pittaway said it is taking some time due to legal issues.

The pub attracted hundreds of visitors. As well as the water mill there is a furnace which can be seen through a glass floor panel.