AN EAST Lancashire brewer promises 400 jobs are safe despite ending a lager's production next year.

The staff at Interbrew UK brewery at Samlesbury were given the pledge after they learned that they will be brewing Castlemaine XXXX instead of Heineken lager.

A spokeswoman for the East Lancashire-based company said: "There will be no job losses at all, and Samlesbury itself will start brewing Castlemaine XXXX when that contract starts in the New Year."

The change in January will mean that hundreds of former Whitbread pubs and free-houses across East Lancashire will lose one of their top-selling beers.

Heineken is still a million barrel brand with a total of 21,500 stockists and sales worth £527m despite a steep decline over the past decade.

Castlemaine XXXX has less than a sixth of Heineken's retail value and has had no significant money spent on it for four years.

Heineken will be relaunched as a premium five per cent beer brewed in Holland.

Mike Davis, of the Cross Axes pub, Great Harwood, said: "In my opinion bringing in Castlemaine is not really a good move, I don't think it is a good selling brand and if I had a choice I wouldn't drink it."

Rita Bialowas, of the Brewers Fayre Old Mother Redcap pub, Blackburn, said: "Heineken is a big seller, we have it along with Stella Artois and it does still sell a lot."