A FORMER 17th century manor house has reopened as an Indian restaurant three years after a devastating blaze ripped through the property.

The Bangla, based at the old Coal Clough House, Burnley, is now the town's largest Indian restaurant with room to seat about 200 people.

It is the third pub in Burnley to re-open as an Indian restaurant after the Bull and Butcher, Manchester Road, beca-me the Ashoka and the Black Bull, Marsden Road, reopened as the Gram Bangla.

Manager Raf said he was delighted the restaurant, which spec-ialises in Bangla-deshi cuisine, had opened.

He said: "We have had some excellent feedback from people who have come here and we are very excited about the future for the restaurant."

Three years ago the spurned lover who held his terrified ex-partner and her friend prisoner before starting the £500,000 blaze which gutted the pub was jailed for four years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Carl White, 23, had tied up and beaten Natalie Hutchinson and Hazel Savage, set fire to a quilt they were under and threatened them with a knife.

White freed his victims after an hour before torching the 17th century manor house with a cigarette, an aerosol and vegetable oil.

Coal Clough House dates back to 1638.