A historic sign dating back more than 200 years has disappeared from outside an Abingdon pub.

The wall-mounted wooden sign disappeared from the former Beehive pub during building work to convert the building into an Indian restaurant.

The sign depicted a beehive on a platform surrounded by bees with the rhyme: 'Within this Hive we're all alive, Good liquor makes us funny, If you are dry step in and try, the flavour of our Honey.'

It is thought to be one of only two in the country.

A new temporary sign has been put up on the building, which is on the corner of Stert Street and Broad Street, declaring 'Al-Zaib Indian Khana. Opening Soon' -- Zaib mean beauty and Khana, food.

But the loss of the old sign has angered conservationists and the Vale of White Horse District Council, who claim it was a vital part of Abingdon's heritage. The monitoring officer in the council's planning department, John Bedford, said the listed building was subject to strict planning controls. "We know very little of what has happened to the sign," he said. "I have written to the owners pointing out that if the sign has been stolen then it should be reported to the police."