Moves to convert a Stamford Hill pub into a synagogue have advanced after the Jewish group which owns the building submitted a planning application.

The Swan closed earlier this year after being bought for around £1 million by members of the strictly Orthodox Bobov sect.

Campaigners who fought to keep the pub open claim the change-of-use application has caused “great anger and resentment”, and accused the Bobovs of “stealing” the pub. The application to Hackney Council seeks to change the building’s use to a synagogue and library, with offices. If successful, the Bobovs intend to use the building daily between 7am and midnight.

The consultation period for nearby residents closes on July 1. Members of the Save the Swan group have called on neighbours to raise objections.

A Bobov spokesman observed: “It is a shame to see a handful of individuals attempting to cause such a tumult and trying to instigate the public to object to the planning”.