SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 8-K



                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                                FEBRUARY 10, 1998
                                -----------------
                        (Date of Earliest Event Reported)


                       NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.
                       -----------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       DELAWARE                                         06-1116165
       --------                                         ----------
 (Commission File Number)                     (IRS Employer Identification No.)

           OLD WINDSOR MALL, P.O. BOX 130, WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT 06095
           ----------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)


                            Telephone: (860) 610-3600
                            -------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


<PAGE>



Form 8-K
New England Community Bancorp, Inc.
Commission File No. 0-14550

Item 5.      Other Matters

             At separate  meetings on February  10, 1998 the Boards of Directors
of New  England  Community  Bancorp,  Inc.  ("NECB")  and Olde Port Bank & Trust
("OPBT"),  respectively,  approved  a  definitive  agreement  (the  "Agreement")
whereby  OPBT will be  acquired  by NECB (the  "Acquisition").  OPBT will become
NECB's fourth banking subsidiary.

             Under the terms of the  Agreement,  for each  share of  outstanding
OPBT common stock, holders will receive NECB common stock with a market value of
$200.00,  subject  to  certain  adjustments.  The exact  exchange  ratio will be
computed  based upon the average  closing  price of NECB shares for the ten (10)
days  preceding the last  regulatory  approval.  Based upon the February 9, 1998
closing price for NECB shares ($24.75),  OPBT shareholders  would be entitled to
receive  approximately  8.08 shares of NECB common  stock for each share of OPBT
common stock owned, with a resulting  transaction  value of approximately  $13.8
million.

             The Acquisition is subject to customary  conditions,  including but
not limited to the approval by federal and state bank regulatory authorities and
the shareholders of OPBT. OPBT, which operates as a  state-chartered  commercial
bank, has a single banking office at 501 Islington Street in Portsmouth,  NH. At
December 31, 1997, OPBT reported total assets of $47 million,  total deposits of
$39 million and shareholders' equity of $4.7 million.

             OPBT executive officers and directors, who, according to OPBT, hold
18,332  shares of OPBT common  stock,  or  approximately  27.4% of the currently
outstanding  shares of OPBT  common  stock,  have  agreed in a  separate  letter
agreement  to vote all of their shares in favor of the  Acquisition  and against
any other competing transaction.

             The  management of NECB and OPBT  anticipate  that the  Acquisition
will close on or about June 30, 1998 and will be accounted for using the pooling
or interests method of accounting.

             Attached   hereto  as  Exhibit  99.1,  is  a  joint  press  release
announcing  the signing of the  Agreement  and  providing  certain  supplemental
information about NECB and OPBT.


Item 7.      Exhibit No.    Description

                99.1        NECB and OPBT Press Release dated February 10, 1998.


<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereto duly authorized.


Dated:  February 25, 1998                    NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.


                                             BY: /s/Anson C. Hall
                                             --------------------------
                                             Anson C. Hall


<PAGE>



Exhibit  99.1--Press Release dated February 10 1998

                                                                    Page 1 of 2

NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.
COMMUNITY SAVINGS BANK

NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.          OLDE PORT BANK AND TRUST
David A. Lentini                             Michael E. Kenslea
Chairman, President & CEO                    President & Chief Executive Officer
860-683-4601                                 603-436-8800

Anson C. Hall
V. P. & Chief Financial Officer
860-683-4610

For Immediate Release

                          NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITY BANCORP
                                   TO ACQUIRE
                   OLDE PORT BANK AND TRUST OF PORTSMOUTH, NH

WINDSOR,  CT,  February  10,  1998  --  New  England  Community  Bancorp,   Inc.
(NASDAQ:NECB)  and Olde Port Bank and Trust  ("Olde  Port") of  Portsmouth,  New
Hampshire,  announced  today the signing of a definitive  agreement  under which
Olde Port will become the newest banking  subsidiary in NECB's growing family of
banks. NECB will acquire all of the outstanding  common stock of Olde Port in an
exchange of stock.  NECB's other banks  include New England Bank & Trust Company
(Windsor, CT), The Equity Bank (Wethersfield,  CT), and Community Bank (Bristol,
CT).

Under the terms of the agreement, for each share of outstanding Olde Port common
stock,  holders  will  receive NECB common stock with a market value of $200.00,
subject to certain adjustments.  The exact exchange ratio will be computed based
upon the average  closing  price of NECB shares for the ten (10) days  preceding
the last  regulatory  approval.  Based upon  yesterday's  closing price for NECB
shares  ($24.75),   Olde  Port   shareholders   would  be  entitled  to  receive
approximately  8.08  shares of NECB  common  stock  for each  share of Olde Port
common stock owned, with a resulting  transaction  value of approximately  $13.8
million.  The transaction is subject to approval by Olde Port  shareholders  and
various regulatory  agencies.  It is anticipated that the transaction will close
on or about June 30, 1998,  will be accounted  for as a pooling of interests and
will be tax-free to Olde Port shareholders.

David A. Lentini, NECB's Chairman,  President and CEO, said "We are pleased that
the directors and management of Olde Port have placed their  confidence in NECB.
While this is our first venture  outside  Connecticut,  our  strategic  plan has
always focused on  opportunities  throughout New England.  NECB is continuing to
build a strong  family  of  community  banks,  and we  welcome  Olde Port to our
organization."

Olde Port  President  Michael E.  Kenslea  commented,  "Meeting  the banking and
financial  services needs of our customers  remains our most important goal. Our
affiliation  with NECB gives us the


<PAGE>


resources we need to achieve  this.  Local  decision  making and a high level of
service  are  important  in setting  community  banks  apart from the pack.  Our
Directors  were  unanimous  in their  support of the  proposed  merger when they
became convinced of NECB's commitment to COMMUNITY BANKING."

At December 31, 1997,  Olde Port reported  total assets of $47 million and total
deposits  of  $39  million.  Olde  Port,  which  operates  as a  state-chartered
commercial  bank,  has a  single  banking  office  at 501  Islington  Street  in
Portsmouth, NH.

New  England  Community  Bancorp,  Inc.  is a multibank  holding  company  whose
subsidiaries serve communities throughout northcentral Connecticut.  New England
Bank and Trust Company is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut. The Equity Bank
is located in  Wethersfield,  Connecticut and Community Bank is headquartered in
Bristol, Connecticut.


                               SUMMARY DATA TABLE
          Information is as of or for the year ended December 31, 1997

  (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT FOR PER SHARE DATA)
                                        NECB               OLDE PORT
                                  --------------         --------------
Total Assets                          $606,170               $46,659
Total  Loans                           411,471                27,700
Allowance for Loan Losses                9,257                   668
Total Deposits                         522,644                39,399
Total Equity                            53,823                 4,726

Net Income                              $4,635                  $643
Earnings per share                       $0.90                 $9.61

Shares Outstanding                   5,161,000                67,000
Book Value Per Share                    $10.43                $70.05
Equity/Assets                            8.88%                10.13%


                               Page 2 of 5 pages