Westhoughton'S most famous son is to be honoured as a new pub opens in the town.

The new £1.1 million watering hole, which was due to serve its first pint today, is to be named Robert Shaw, in memory of the actor who starred as shark-hunter Quint in the 1970s blockbuster Jaws.

Westhoughton has already paid tribute to the actor with a plaque in his name outside the town hall.

Shaw, the son of a doctor, was born in King Street, Westhoughton, in August 1927, before moving to the Orkneys at the age of seven and then Cornwall. He died of a heart attack in August 1978, aged 51.

As well as starring alongside Roy Scheider in the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic, the actor put in some great performances in a number of films, including the Dambusters and A Man for All Seasons.

The pub, on the site of the old Lo-Cost supermarket in Market Street, is run by the JD Wetherspoon company, which specialises in cheap drinks, food and a no music policy.

Although this will be welcomed by some people, landlords in the town say they will not be able to compete with the pub and campaigned to stop it getting a licence.

JD Wetherspoon argued that it offered something new to the town and improved competition.

Joseph Williamson, licensee of the Rose and Crown in Bolton Road, said it was a matter of them all trying their best to keep their customers.

He added: "We are all not happy about it, but there is nothing we can do really."

A total of 25 new full and part-time jobs will be created at the pub, which also has a ban on pool tables.

Paintings, photographs and text relating to the history and characters of the area, together with artwork, will be displayed in the pub.

Manager Rob Prior said he was looking forward to welcoming customers.

He added: "I am confident that people in the town will be impressed with the transformation of the former supermarket and that the pub will be a good addition to Westhoughton."

ROBERT SHAW FACTFILE

In an interview with the Observer in 1967, Shaw remembered Westhoughton as "mill girls walking the pavements in the dark singing Oh, Play To Me, Gipsy, trams and three huge slag heaps with the ever turning wheel."

His most famous films include Jaws, The Sting, Dambusters, From Russia With Love, A Man for All Seasons, The Deep and The Battle of the Bulge.

He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Henry VIII in A Man For All Seasons.

In the Battle of Britain he starred with Sir Lawrence Olivier and Trevor Howard.

His last film was Avalanche Express, which was released the year after he died.

He made frequent appearances on television, including as Dan Tempest in The Buccaneers, and in the theatre, with performances on Broadway.

As well as being a famous actor, Shaw was also a novelist, writing best sellers The Flag and The Man in the Glass Booth.

Robert Shaw was married three times. His first marriage to Jennifer Marguerite ended in divorce in 1963 after an affair with actress Mary Ure, who he starred with in Custer of the West. He had four children with his first wife.

He later married Mary, but she died of drugs and drink overdose in 1975.

His third wife, Virginia Jansen, was with him when he collapsed and died in his car near their home in the Republic of Ireland.

CHEERS ROBERT: Manager Rob Prior raises a glas to the Jaws star