THE landlords of a Thwaites pub in Salesbury will host a charity event before pulling their last pints.

Claire and Stephen Costello, who have run the Bonny Inn pub in Ribchester Road for six years, are collaborating with St Peter’s CE Church to hold a fundraising event dubbed Church Versus Pub.

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A series of events are being discussed including a football match, a bake-off and a Mastermind-style pub quiz.

Residents will be encouraged to come down and join either Team Church or Team Pub and battle it out to determine an overall winner.

Mrs Costello, 36, said the event followed last year’s successful job swap where Reverend Martin Duerden of the church swapped jobs with the landlords to raise money for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. She added: “We had a great time last year with the job swap so my husband and I, along with the church, wanted to do something this year again.

“We found that there were a lot of church-goers and a lot of pub-goers but the two rarely got to see each other.

“We want to change this and bring the community closer more frequently.”

Mrs Costello said it was the right time to step away from the pub.

She said: “The past six years have been absolutely fantastic, but we feel now it’s time to move on.

“We have a six-year-old daughter and it was getting a bit too much to focus on everything.

“Myself and Stephen have enjoyed our time at the Bonny, we have such fond memories here and we really did have a pub at the heart of the community.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us with our food and drink over our time here, as they’re the ones who have kept us going.”

Mr Costello has started a new business – Two Chefs Mobile Catering – with a standing pitch at Whitebirk in Blackburn.

Thwaites area manager Daniel Bigio said: “Claire and Stephen have done a really great job at the Bonny and they are a big part of the community there.

“I wish them all the best in their new business.”

Once decided the events will be held in November and a chosen charity will be picked by the church.

The couple will be leaving the pub in the New Year and the pub has recently applied for permission from Ribble Valley Borough Council to alter its appearance.

The proposed plans included the construction of a timber conservatory and a new kitchen and bar service.