A POPULAR Blackburn entertainment bar is to close for four months this spring while it undergoes a £100,000 plus refurbishment.

Blakey's Cafe Bar at King George's Hall is to transfer its weekend entertainment to the recently revamped Windsor Suite and may be open during the day on Fridays and Saturdays.

The work is expected to take up to 16 weeks. The town centre bar will have air conditioning installed and will be completely redecorated.

The council-run cafe bar hosts jazz nights and old-time music.

Stephen Rigby, assistant director of Blackburn with Darwen Council's leisure and culture department, said the work would take so long because of the complex structural work being carried out to the main concert hall at the same time. He said: "It will be the same space but with new carpeting and decorated totally differently. There will be new fittings and lights and we will be moving the raised area."

The cafe bar caters for about 200 people each lunchtime through the week and around another 1,000 on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Rigby said the work was needed for the bar to remain competitive.

It last had minor improvements four years ago, following major work in 1993.

The work represents the final phase of the redevelopment of King George's Hall which includes installing new strengthening supports to allow "standing" concerts in the main hall.

Eight columns will run from Blakey's into the concert hall above, with two or three of them going through the bar are as well as others through the kitchens and toilets areas.

The main concert hall will remain open while the refurbishment takes place.

The Windsor Suite was reopened in October last year after a £700,000 revamp and was described by Coun Kate Hollern, executive member for leisure and tourism, as "one of the most attractive conference centres in this area."