A LANDMARK at the heart of its community is now lying in ruin after the bulldozers moved in.

Workers have demolished the Rodbourne Arms, which has stood in Cheney Manor Road since 1905.

It is to pave the way for frozen food supermarket Farmfoods, which bought the venue from Punch Taverns earlier this year.

But losing a pub can be hard on the community, said Katie Baker, who was a barmaid at the pub.

The 36-year-old, of Cypress Grove, worked there for two years.

She said: “I think it’s a real shame. It’s been there for years.

“It used to be a real heart of the community. I know a lot of locals who used to drink there.

“I’m in the Parent Teacher Association at Rodbourne Cheney primary and we used to have our meetings there.

“It had got to the point where we didn’t feel comfortable going in there.

“I think a lot of it was it didn’t get the right manager in. Since I worked there, they had three managers in.

“It is a real shame because it’s a part of Rodbourne Cheney. Someone asks you for directions and you automatically say: Go and turn left at the pub. It’s a landmark.

“I’m just glad it’s not going to be turned into any more flats.”

But others said they would be glad to see the back of it.

Martin Clark, who works opposite the pub in Skin Kandy tattoo parlour, said: “We’ll be glad to see it gone. It was starting to bring such a bad vibe to the area.

“It was beyond repair – people were starting to climb up and steal the metal. It was virtually falling down on its own.”

At a council meeting last month, residents raised concerns about an increase of traffic if the supermarket was granted permission but Farmfoods property director William McCreadie dismissed them and said it would strengthen the area and create 15 jobs.

The council ordered a full historical survey to be carried out on the site before the bulldozers moved in Another Swindon pub is also set for a date with the demolition team.

The council has now acquired legal ownership of The Bulldog, in Walcot, and said it is aiming to do away with it as soon as possible.

An asbestos survey was carried out last week and a spokesman said assuming the building gets the all-clear is could be down by the end of the month.