A RUNDOWN pub in Foulridge has been given a new lease of life to regain its place as the heart of the community.

The Hole In The Wall, in Towngate, had been closed for around five months before former accountant Stephen Letch decided to take over the lease.

And sales at the pub, run by Punch Pub Company, have risen again, thanks to brisk trade among locals and boaters, who have moored on the nearby Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Stephen, who worked in Norway until recently, wanted a new challenge and decided the Hole in The Wall was the opportunity he had been looking for.

He officially took over in June last year, when renovation work began on the pub.

He said: "I had been living in Norway since 1997 and worked as an accountant while my wife Christine was a radiographer. We decided it was time for a change and a move back to England so we looked at various propositions and then we heard about the Hole In The Wall.

"The pub was closed but it had potential to become the heart of the community, a proper local pub."

The couple worked closely with Punch's business development manager, Troy Wardley, who agreed the company would invest money to fit new signs on the building and renovate the car park. Stephen signed a tenancy agreement and enrolled on the company's Modern Licensed Retailer course to learn about the trade.

He said: "It was excellent and very specific to what I needed to know. I knew how to manage the books from my accountancy background but I had to learn things like pulling pints, cleaning the pipes, licensing laws and environmental health matters.

"Running a pub is hard work and you have to be very dedicated, but it's rewarding. We now have plans for the future including developing the beer garden and introducing a French-style caf bar selling teas and Danish pastries."