A pub in Padiham is set to reopen next month after being taken over by a pub group.

Philip Howarth and John McDonald, directors of AJP Pub Group, have taken over the Starkie Arms.

The Church Street pub is set to reopen at the start of October. Currently, it is closed while a refurbished is carried out.

Leighton Cragg has been appointed as the new landlord of the pub.

It is set to remain as a wet-led pub serving beers, ales, wines, some cocktails and beyond. Tribute acts and karaoke are also planned.

The pub was listed for sale in July and was managed by former landlady Rosie Endicott.

A spokesperson for AJP Pub Group said they want the pub to be a “community hub”.

They said: “The pub is in a good location in the middle of Padiham and will give people somewhere to go where there is a lot of entertainment. It will be like a community hub and will be a positive thing for the town.

“Nobody wants to see pubs closing down. I think attitudes towards drinking have changed and people want something different.

“They want entertainment, rather than drinking day to day. You need an edge and to be consistent to succeed as a pub.

“Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve but we’re doing really well as a group.”