AN INTERNATIONAL rock star has backed the campaign to save a much-loved music venue.

Ricky Wilson, frontman of Leeds-based band Kaiser Chiefs, tweeted a photo wearing a #savetherockbarn t shirt, referring to The Rock Barn in Witney Market Square.

The venue is leased to MuzoAkademy, which teaches music to more than 100 people of all ages and abilities, by town and district councillor David Harvey.

Earlier this month, West Oxfordshire District Council's planning committee deferred a planning application to demolish the building and replace it with six flats.

The singer-songwriter's tweet gained plenty of reaction from the Rock Barn's supporters, with MuzoAkademy tweeting: "Wow! When @Rickontour rocks one of our #savetherockbarn T shirts!"

It added: "We need all the help we can get to keep our grassroots venue alive."

Councillors will visit The Rock Barn on Thursday, September 6 to assess the layout of the site.

Campaigners have submitted an application to make the building an asset of community value, while they have also created a song and released merchandise to raise awareness of their fight.

They presented the application at the council offices before the planning committee meeting on August 13, alongside a copy of their petition containing more than 3,200 signatures.

If the application succeeds, they will get six months to raise the funds to buy the venue before it can be sold.

A JustGiving page set up to help raise the £125,000 required has attracted almost £5,000 in donations.

Kaiser Chiefs have released six studio albums, with 2007 hit 'Ruby' reaching number one in the UK charts.