Mandy Hurst, who has taken over the lease of the Woolpack Inn, is hoping to breathe new life into the venue, which had been threatened with closure after the previous licensees decided to leave.

Having trained and worked as a barmaid at the pub in Westwood Road, the 21-year-old felt ready to make a career out of running it herself.

Mandy, originally from South Shields, said: "I used to work as a barmaid in the pub and I absolutely fell in love with it, so when it became available with Marston's, I jumped at the chance to make it my own."

Mandy is keen to build up a business for regulars and has already attracted new customers with a new bar menu and three extra hand pumps.
"There always used to be a lot of regulars at the Woolpack Inn and I want to attract back any lost custom. I want the pub to thrive like it used to many years ago, and I'd like to see new people coming in," she said.

Jim Atkinson, who lives round the corner from the Woolpack, was one of the first to take a seat at the bar.

He said: "I've been a regular here for around 12 years so it's nice to see that it's back open and full of customers again. It was a shame when the pub was nearly closed, but Mandy's brought it back to life."