Kathryn Bache, who runs The White Bull at Gisburn, has reopened one of the casualties of the economic crisis, Roughlee's Bay Horse Inn.

Taking on a sister pub is almost unheard of in the current economic climate, which has seen 10 Ribble Valley pubs close and prompted Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans to call for more Government support.

But, the newly-refurbished inn, which has been open for more than three weeks now, is attracting back locals and newcomers alike with its real ales and traditional pub grub.

Over the past six years, Kathryn and her team have established a successful business in the White Bull and plan to use their magical formula of consistently "good food, good standards, and good service," to continue to buck the trend.

Kathryn (48), who will run the two businesses with her partner, Ralph McCarthy, and trainee manager Ryan Wellock, said: "People are not going out as much as they used to, so when they do go out they want to go somewhere which is consistently good."

She added that in tough economic times, pubs needed all the support they could get and urged locals to lobby the Government against any increase in beer tax in April's Budget.

Kathryn urged people to log on to www.axethebeertax.com to register their disapproval of any increase.