A POPULAR pub, once run by former Burnley FC boss Stan Ternent, has been placed on the market by brewery bosses.

New landlords are being sought for the historic Thornton Arms, on Brownside Road, by the pub enterprises arm of brewing giants Scottish and Newcastle.

Speculation had emerged that the pub, like a number of other drinking haunts in Burnley, was set to be converted into an Indian restaurant. Ex-Clarets boss Stan was first licensee of the pub, shortly after it was converted in 1983. He moved in with his wife Kath and their two sons, Chris and Daniel, then aged 14 and 10.

Before becoming a pub the building was known as Pike Hill Farm and had belonged to John Driver, whose family had farmed the area for generations.

Building contractor Ken Thornton was the driving force behind the conversion project, for which McEwan Younger Brewery paid £350,000 upon its completion.

A Scottish and Newcastle spokesman said: "As an interim measure we have appointed a management company to run the Thornton Arms.

"It has always been quite a family-led pub and we are currently actively seeking licensees for these premises."

Pub bosses say the turnover of the pub is around £255,000 per year.