THE spirit of a Crimean War general from Burnley will live on through a newly opened cafe.

Carol Kerr, a former NHS patient advice liaison officer, has fulfilled her life-long ambition of opening up ‘The Scarlett Tearooms’.

The 60-year-old named the Accrington Road tea shop after Sir James Scarlett, a general who led the Charge of the Heavy Brigade, a successful assault on Russian forces in the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

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The tearoom was created on the site of the General Scarlett, a former Moorhouse Brewery pub named after the general.

Mrs Kerr, originally from County Antrim in Northern Ireland, said it was important to keep the memory of General Scarlett alive as he was an important figure in Burnley’s history.

She said: “It’s been a life long dream for me, I worked in the NHS for more than 25 years and I have a new chapter in my life to enjoy.

“There’s something about the building, it used to be a popular pub where people came to socialise and meet with friends.

“I wanted to replicate this and keep the community service going.”

It was estimated that 60,000 people lined the streets of Burnley for the general’s funeral procession when he was buried at Church of St John the Divine, in Cliviger, at the age of 72 in 1871.

Born in London, Sir Scarlett married Burnley coal heiress, Charlotte Hargreaves in 1835. The tearoom will be ran by the mum-of-three and her sister, Noreen Brogna, 43.

Mrs Kerr said: “It’s a family-run business and we hope to keep the name of General Scarlett going for a very long time. He was well-known to the area and even stood for Burnley in a general election in 1868.”