ONE of East Lancashire's premier beers will be working its magic at Westminster until Easter.

Bottled Pendle Witches beer from Burnley's Moorhouse's Brewery is being served in the main House of Commons bar for the next few weeks.

The beer is the latest of Moorhouse's products to be showcased at the Commons.

On three previous occasions cask beer from the brewery has been on sale in the Strangers Bar, the main refreshments facilities for MPs and their guests.

Pendle Witches brew will be available in that bar, the Press Bar and the Smoking Room.

Moorhouse's managing director David Grant said: "I am absolutely delighted. We have had the cask beer in about three times before. It is a pity that it is not there again. Pendle Witches is a fine beer and we're pleased that it will be available to MPs and others in such a prestigious location.

"We have got some very good champions of our beers including Burnley MP Kitty Ussher and Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who is an executive of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

"This type of thing helps us built the reputation of the beer and it is very pleasing to have Pendle Witches replacing London brewers Fuller's Honeydew in the main House of Commons bars."

Robert Gibbs, the operations manager of the House of Commons refreshment department, said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer another Moorhouse's beer in the House of Commons.

"We are very keen to get as many regional beers as possible sold in our bars. It is part of our responsibility to the brewing industry across the UK and to our MPs and our constituents who come from all over the country.

"We have had Moorhouse's beer before and it has been very popular. We choose our beers on the grounds of taste, location and quality and Moorhouse's' Pendle Witches meets all three criteria."

Mrs Ussher said: "I am absolutely delighted that Moorhouse's excellent beer is back in the House of Commons. It is a fine product from Burnley and deserves this exposure."