THE bells have tolled for a landmark pub which has stood in Tonge Moor for decades.

Work has started on demolishing The Starkie Arms in Tonge Moor Road in order to replace the red brick building with a Heron Foods convenience store.

Scaffolding has been erected around the pub, which closed in June 2017, and demolition crews have been hard at work pulling the building apart brick by brick.

Closer inspection shows some of the pictures from inside the pub were still on the walls when crews moved in.

The pub has been empty ever since it closed and in November 2017 firefighters were called because a fire had broken out inside. At the time the fire was thought to have been started deliberately.

Members of the public lamented the loss of the Victorian building when the food store plans were announced.

In the run up to the plan being approved there was even concern for the building from overseas.

Klare Santos, who grew up in Astley Bridge, but now resides near San Diego, contacted The Bolton News with her fears that Bolton was losing too much of its identity.

Despite support online, council planners only received two objections to the plans.

Not everyone was against turning the site into a Heron Foods. Cllr Martin Donaghy (Tonge with The Haulgh ward) supported the plans.

As demolition started his ward colleague Cllr Nick Peel said: "It's part of the history of Tonge Moor but at the end of the day if the brewery's not interested there's not a lot you can do. The owners of an unlisted building can demolish it.

"It's better to have a good retail development than a derelict pub, the junction will look a lot better."

Objections were raised by members of the public to the plans, one noted: “The public house should be retained as it was designed by a local architect and has attractive features, typical of its period.”

However, council planning officers said in their report: “It was recognised that the building does possess some architectural merit. However, the building is of a relatively common style and age, and is not considered to be of a quality which would warrant it being viewed as a heritage asset.”

Essap Investments Limited, which applied for planning permission for the Heron Foods shop received approval for the plans at the end of October.

The plans show the pub would be demolished and the new store erected set back from the road next to the existing carpark over a grassed area currently behind the pub.

Replacement parking spaces would be created in front of the store.