THE people of Bretforton have been celebrating after being able to pop into their local for a pint for the first time in 14 months.

The Fleece Inn, which was ravaged by fire in February 2004, opened its doors again yesterday.

Regulars had been frequenting a temporary bar in the barn next door while painstaking restorations to the National Trust owned 14th Century watering hole were carried out.

They were welcomed back into the inn to find the historic interiors almost exactly as they were before the fire.

Landlord Nigel Smith said the pub was full all day. "For most people it was like coming home," he said.

"It was worth all the hard work restoring it as everyone thought it looked exactly the same."

A series of events celebrating the reopening, including asparagus auctions on Sunday, May 29 and June 5, will take place over the next few weeks culminating in a grand opening weekend on Saturday, June 18, which will include the launch of a special celebration ale.