A RALLY is taking place outside The Porcupine this morning (May 14) to help save the historic pub from demolition.

Bromley and Chislehurst MP Bob Neill and Community Pubs Minister Brandon Lewis MP are both expected to attend.

The demonstration will take place outside the pub in Mottingham Road at 10.30am in an effort to prevent the site being turned into a Lidl supermarket.

Campaigners have also discovered The Porcupine is where 19th century world champion boxer Tom Cribb trained.

CAMRA pub campaigner Dale Ingram said: “There has been a pub on this site since at least the late 1600s and the traditional use is well established and should not be extinguished.

“The connection with Tom Cribb is just another example of the historic significance of this pub.

“We have already proved that well located pubs like this in south London can thrive successfully."

He added: “It’s the sky high London land prices and ineffectual government policies that tempt owners to make a killing by selling them off to developers for flats or multi-national companies like McDonalds or Lidl.”

For more information, visit @PorkyMottingham on Twitter.