A PUB set in Blackburn's rural landscape has been given a £150,000 refurbishment.

The Royal Oak in Riley Green has been given a full makeover, with improvements to the bar and restaurant.

The cash injection also contributed towards a new kitchen and toilets as well as an expansion of the pub's car park.

The work has involved stripping back walls so original features could become more prominent.

Mike Rawlinson, who runs the pub with his brother, Chris, said he was really pleased with the pubs new look.

He said: "It's been really well received – the design built on the great features that already existed in the Royal Oak, as we did things like stripping back the walls to the original stone.

"It's allowed us to make more use of these features, and at the same time freshen the whole pub.

"The result is fantastic as it all looks bigger and lighter but it's retained its character.

"We've had really positive feedback since the pub reopened.

"This has added to the already excellent reputation, built up by the team, over the past few years to now provide a wonderful dining and drinking experience."

The pub is one of 250 pubs owned by the Thwaites brewery, which recently moved from its Blackburn town centre location to a new site Mellor Brook.

Andrew Buchanan, director of pubs and brewing at Thwaites, said: "The new look is fantastic and everyone has been bowled over by the changes - but we have also been really careful to retain the character of the pub.

"It is a really popular and quality place for people wanting to eat or drink, so this was about making sure our décor matched that experience Mike and Chris offer.

"Now when you walk in, it feels somewhere really special which is exactly the result we were looking to achieve."