FORGET lager, the die-hard drinkers at one watering hole regularly down more than 20 pints a day - of tea!

The regulars of the Cabin Caf, next to Blackburn railway station, even have their favourite tipple served up in pint mugs.

Every morning retired builder Alan Bleasdale visits the caf on Railway Road for his first cup of tea of the day - his first of 30!

He is not alone either. Many of the regulars are proud to say they enjoy between 20 and 30 cups a day, preferring to drink much more tea than beer.

And if Alan, 63, does go to the pub he always makes sure he has a pint of tea before bed.

The former scaffolder said: "A good brew is what keeps us all going. It really does sustain you throughout the day."

He drinks his tea, milky with two sugars, from a cup with his name on it and at home, on Higson Street, from a pint pot which he won't wash until the very end of the day, because it "spoils the taste of the tea".

Builder Robert Maxwell, 45 , and retired forklift truck driver Ian Watson, 63, are also Cabin regulars. Ian, who moved to Blackburn from Devon enjoys between 20 to 30 cups of tea a day, but refuses to touch coffee or any herbal tea varieties. He added: "My body has grown used to it now so I don't need to visit the loo more than anyone else now!"

Robert, from Lango, can tell you the price of tea in most Blackburn cafs.

But nutritionist Rachel Bartholomew is concerned about the damage that could be done by over-indulging in the most British of drinks.

She said: "Tea contains the stimulant caffeine. By consuming so much, their adrenal glands are under considerable stress and it could push some people into chronic fatigue.

"It is also a diuretic, which means you pass more water than you consume. These people must be completely dehydrated and this can result in really low energy levels. If they don't drink water to compensate for the loss, bodily functions cannot work properly.

"Sugar in high quantities depletes the immune system and can be bad for your health."

Sandra Blades, who works in the caf is responsible for the regulars' personalised cups. She said: "From the brickies and builders to the old ladies who come in here, everyone enjoys a good cup of tea.

"We sell most of the tea in mugs that hold up to a pint and most regulars will drink four or five before they even start work.

"I even know people who take their kettle and tea bags abroad with them so they are never caught short."