ONE of Thwaites tower’s best known days came just five years ago – but it is one chapter of the iconic building’s history brewery bosses would rather forget.

For they were left red-faced when the illuminated THWAITES sign was changed by workers to spell out a rather ‘blue’ phrase.

Some of the tower’s letters fell into darkness as people left town centre shops and offices in January 2014.

With just the letters H, I and E blacked out, the embarrassing message was broadcast to the entire town.

It came after news that the brewery was to axe up to 60 jobs.

The first sightings were made at around 4.40pm. Within 15 minutes the entire sign was blacked out. However by 5.30pm the lights were restored to normal working order.

A spokesman for Thwaites said that on being alerted the brewery turned the lights off and launched an investigation into what had happened.

Thwaites opened its new state-of-the-art Salmesbury headquarters last year. The Blackburn brewery shut after 211 years in May 2018.

Work started this week on demolition of the tower.