It's ten years ago this week since we reported on a well known chain's plans to convert an east London pub into a restaurant.

A historic pub which has stood in Chingford for more than 100 years could be turned into an Italian restaurant.

Eatery chain Prezzo wants to convert the Bull On the Green pub in Chingford into another of its outlets, meaning the landmark building's ground floor pub would cease to exist.

Prezzo has applied for planning permission to put an extractor fan in the building in The Green, but does not need formal approval to turn the pub into a restaurant.

The Bull on the Green has been a pub since the 1880s, when it traded as The Crown, before the pub was knocked down and replaced by the current building in 1910.

Chingford Historical Society president David Young said: "This is happening to more and more pubs these days, they're disappearing. There's not much that can be done, maybe it's a different generation wanting something different but I'm really rather sorry about it."

In recent years the pub has struggled to step out of the shadow of its past as the Bull and Crown, which was owned by different management.

The Bull and Crown was closed by police for nearly a year following a drug raid in July 2009.

Its current owner, Atlantic Housing, was recently granted permission to convert the first, second and third floors of the building into offices.

Formal notices of Prezzo's application will be posted around the pub on Monday, June 18, and a decision could be taken by Waltham Forest Council 18 days after that.