A Worcester Park pub could be returned to its former glory after it was bought at auction for more than £2million, but some locals hope it won’t become a nuisance.

The HG Wells in Cheam Common Road has been closed for the past few years and was put up for sale in November 2021.

Stuart Stares from Savills, which ran the auction, said the new owners are expected to reopen it as a pub after carrying out a full refurbishment.

Figures from the campaign for real ale (CAMRA) show that in the borough of Sutton, 29 pubs have closed their doors since 2000, equivalent to a loss of 21 per cent.

Rodney Williams, 74, has lived in the area for most of his life. He said the pub had deteriorated in the last few years before it closed down.

He said: “I believe what most people want is for it to be demolished and housing built. For years people have spent hundreds of thousands refurbishing it and trying to turn it into a gastro pub.

“It used to be a very nice pub when I was young. The landlord who ran it in the late 1950s, early 60s was an uncle of Cliff Richard. When he retired the Conebar family took it over, it was always busy, a family pub.”

But he said after the family retired, the pub changed hands a number of times. It was named HG Wells in 2010 after the science fiction author.

Keith Tilley, whose garden backs onto the HG Wells, said he would be happy for it to reopen as a pub, as long as loud music was kept under control.

The 87-year-old said: “It was a very nice pub, but it deteriorated into all kinds of trouble in the last 15 years. I wouldn’t mind it staying as a pub as long as they don’t have loud music, as they had previously. If it was going to be a gastro pub like it was 20 years ago then it would be okay.”

And Isabel Holden who lives in a cul-de-sac behind the building said she would much rather it stay a pub than be developed into flats.

The 78-year-old said: “I am pleased it won’t be flats, that would be terrible.”

Savills has not provided any further details of who the buyer of the pub was.

The pub is in a Victorian building and has a large beer garden capable of accommodating 120 visitors as well as two restaurant rooms which can serve more than 80 customers in total.

There are also six bedrooms, a bathroom, a large storage room and a basement comprising a cellar and stores.