FIRST zombies come to The Mall in Blackburn and next thing they pop up at your local pub in Darwen.

Lance Montgomery has been running The Anchor for seven years and while most landlords don’t want to scare punters away, bosses at the Blackburn Road-based pub go the extra mile when it comes to ghastly Halloween displays.

Passers-by have had their heads turned by the sight of the undead climbing the walls after jumping on a parked car outside the pub to get in.

Lance said: “We decided to revisit an old zombie theme but we have learned a few more tricks from over the years and the reaction we have been getting is great.

“People have been telling us that we have upped our game and by using more animatronics characters such as moving zombies and have developed some of our own ideas.

“Obviously we have had a few people who are not so happy with us as we are making them jump but it is really good to get the increased footfall coming into the pub.

“People are coming from different areas to see what we are doing and each year people are wanting to see it.

“We have been planning this one for about a year and it has taken about two weeks to install everything. We are not able to concentrate as much on it as we have got kids.

“We have started the planning for next year.”

Among the tricks and treats in the pub include a hospital scene with a zombie doctor and surgeon who jumps out on people.

Lance said: “It is all worthwhile and people do enjoy watching zombie films and TV programmes and that is why we think it has been so successful.

“People know that at Halloween we are going to try to scare them so some of our regulars have known to give us a bit of a wide berth and stay away.

“We want to get things that make people want to come to the pub.

Last year, the pub was decorated with spiders webs around the bar and lots of arachnids appearing from every nook and cranny.