THE Bank Top Brewery Tap pub in Sharples has been named the pub in Bolton.

Six pubs - The Dunscar Arms in Egerton, the House Without A Name in Harwood, The Bowling Green in Horwich, The Crown in Horwich, The Victoria and Albert in Horwich and the Bank Top Brewery Tap - were all vying to be crowned pub of the year by the Bolton branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

On Wednesday night, in a CAMRA vote at The Spinning Mule in Nelson Square, the Sharples pub was named winner.

The Victoria and Albert, in Lee Lane, had been hoping to win the title for the third consecutive year.

The pub also finished third in the equivalent CAMRA award for Greater Manchester last year.

The Bank Top Brewery Tap was last crowned pub of the year in 2011. Bank Top opened its second pub last year - the Bank Top Ale House - in Church Street, Horwich. It was formerly the Brown Cow.