THE owner of Bar Life, Northgate, Blackburn, said he will keep it open until a buyer is found.

The popular bar is on the market for just under £500,000, but owner Kevin Flegg, of Darwen, said it would be business as usual on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Flegg has run the bar for the past nine years and used to own Marley’s, Church Street, Blackburn.

He said: “We are still very busy and probably the busiest bar in town at weekends.

"We will remain open until someone buys the building.

“The last four or five have been quieter, though. The economic downturn is making people not go into town like they did before.

“Because of the downturn I don’t see it getting any better in Blackburn.

"I just can’t see it improving.”

And he believes that a lack of big pub chains was also a contributing to the decline in a once vibrant town centre.

He said: “There is a lack of a big name bars coming into town.

"Others have a Walkabout or a Varsity but blackburn doesn’t.

“Yates’ pulled out and nothing has come back in which maybe shows even they aren’t hopeful about the town centre’s nightlife."