A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save Blackburn’s last rock venue.

Members of Save The Napier met this week to try to reopen the Sir Charles Napier pub, on Limbrick, in the town centre.

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Former regulars gathered at the Bureau Centre for the Arts, in Victoria Street, and heard the group is now a fully constituted community organisation.

Save The Napier’s Alex Martindale said: “I’ve been a regular in the Napier for the last 20 years we are a 50-strong group of regulars who are interested in working as a community for the future of the pub.

“Our plan is to do whatever we can to make sure the Napier continues to support our community, whether that’s taking on a tenancy, buying the building, or working with a new owner or tenant for the future of the pub.

“We have ideas for the development of the Napier, including innovative digital and print marketing, restoring the front door to its former glory, working with the college, serving food, extending the opening hours and making the pub welcoming to a broader range of clientele.”

The pub was once given a four-star review by the Metal Travel Guide, which said: “It has the most metal staff you will meet in England.”

And it used to host a rock-karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday, pool tournaments on Monday, a quiz every Wednesday with dominoes on Sunday.

The campaign is already attracting national support, with Brighton band The Wytches, who play at the Soundrive Festival, in Gdańsk, Poland, this summer, lending early support.

They tweeted: “A great rock bar is being closed, this time in Blackburn. We have been there ourselves and it was great.”

And Sheffield five-piece Deadset Dream described the venue as the “best rock bar in Lancashire”, with singer Shiney Lingwood, who hails from Blackburn, adding: “It is in danger of being lost forever.”

Firebrand Roxx’s Rock & Metal Express said: “We need more rock and metal pubs not less.”

The venue is also legend among fans of hard rock and metal for its wall murals.