Campaigners calling for a much-loved tea hut to remain in the family which has run it for 84 years say they have had a positive meeting with the committe which will decide its future.

The City of London Epping Forest and Commons Committee was set to announce who would be granted the contract to run the hut, in Fairmead Road, HIgh Beach, on Monday, but the decision will now be announced on November 3.

The committe yesterday met with petitioner Paul Morris and tea hut manager Bradley Melton, whose lease expires in October, to discuss the issue. 

Mr Melton said: "We are feeling fairly positive but we are still uncertain as to what the outcome will be.

"It is clear that our application is being considered otherwise we would have been knocked out of the tender sooner.

"We are no further back than we were before the meeting so we feel we are moving forward, it's all up in the air but we remain positive."

The hut has been run by Mr Melton's family since 1930 and is popular with forest visitors and a meeting place for bikers.

The City of London Corporation made the surprise announcement earlier this year that the hut would be put of to tender, claiming the faciltiy needs to be upgraded and offer a wider range of products.

Mr Morris, a regular visitor, started a petition for the hut to remain managed by Mr Melton which has attracted 8,000 signitures.

He said: "We are feeling more positive than negative.

"It's 50/50 at the  moment, we haven't had a flat dismissal but the City of London committee are playing their cards close to their chest.

"We haven't been dismissed though. They have looked at what Bradley has tabled in regards to the tea hut and the area. We are remaining positive."

A spokesman for the City of London Epping Forest and Commons Committee said: "No decision has been made regarding the tender yet.

"We will proceed to look at proposals for the tender from businesses.

"We hope to have a final decision by on November 3."