HUNDREDS of signatures have been put on a petition to prevent a popular pub from closing down.

Regulars at The Dukes Head in Upper Village Road, Sunninghill, fear it could be threatened with closure after a number of complaints were made about the level of noise.

Mandy Baggott, who lives near the pub, said: "I have been here for 18 months and have seen a couple of fights outside which isn't nice.

"There have also been a few occasions when young people were outside swearing, and I don't want my children to hear that kind of language." Council officers from the Royal Borough say they may enforce a second notice to stop the noise but the pub's managers and regulars fear the complaints could lead to it closing. Pub manager Steve Ponsford, 50, said: "We built a smoking shelter in the beer garden to accommodate our smoking customers because of the Government's ban.

"But we have since been told we're not allowed to turn the shelter heating on as it will encourage people to go outside and make noise, and a maximum of seven people are allowed outside at a time." The pub, which is leased from Greene King, installed double glazing in the majority of the windows and hopes to double glaze the remaining ones to help reduce the noise.

Nigel Gardiner, who lives opposite the pub, said he would be sad to see it go.

He said: "It's a nice little pub and I don't hear a lot of noise at all. If there are any problems, the manager moves the people along away from the houses and we're always informed if they're having a late night event by getting a letter through the door." Greene King spokeswoman Elaine Beckett said: "We are aware of some problems relating to The Dukes Head and we are currently in discussions with the licensee and all parties involved about these issues.

"We hope to reach an amicable solution with those concerned very soon." Royal Borough spokeswoman Helen Taylor said a noise abatement notice had been served in September last year.

She said: "Following serious concerns from local residents we have had several meetings with all parties, including Greene King and Thames Valley Police, and following these meetings Greene King is taking appropriate action." The petition will be handed over to the Royal Borough later this month.