A 'TIRED' pub has closed ahead of a £245,000 refurbishment.

The work will see The Cross Keys in Barnoldswick transformed with a new sports and games room as well as an all weather garden.

The work will take four weeks with the pub scheduled to reopen in late June.

Bosses said the development will also create up to 12 new jobs.

The expenditure is part of a £3.63million investment by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars across its pubs in Lancashire.

Chris Tulloch, managing director of the new operators Lancashire pub company Blind Tiger Inns, said: “I’ve lived in Lancashire all my life and am delighted to have a pub in Barnoldswick at last.

“It’s a lovely town with a strong community spirit and I feel fortunate to have found such a high profile pub. The Cross Keys is full of potential but needs investment and TLC to revive it for the future.”

The pub’s exterior will be restored and repainted.

An all weather garden with room for 80 punters will be developed at the back there will be new furniture and planting, as well as awnings, heaters and lighting to enable it to be enjoyed all year round.

A games room will be created in the pub’s second lounge, complete with pool table, darts boards and big screens for sports viewing. Sky and BT sports will be installed and there will also be other activities, including quiz nights, live entertainment and charity fundraisers

Mr Tulloch said the company was keen to put the pub on the map for the quality of its beer and is upgrading the cellar with state of the art dispense equipment to ensure a consistently good pint. Cask ales will be a new focus and The Cross Keys will showcase regularly changing ales from local microbreweries.

Star Pubs & Bars operations director David Pritchard said: “Chris Tulloch has a great knowledge of Lancashire pubs and we’re delighted to be working with him to put new life into The Cross Keys.

"Vibrant pubs are an affordable, fun place where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together.

"We’re investing £20million this year around the country in pubs like The Cross Keys to help them deliver excellent quality and thrive in their role at the heart of their communities.”