A PUB chain is creating 16 jobs after investing £300,000 in a North-East venue.

Punch Taverns has revamped the Rose, Shamrock and Thistle pub, in Streetgate, between Gateshead and Stanley, County Durham.

The new landlord is Paul Harrison, who also runs the nearby Hobson pub.

He said: "I've decided to transfer some of my existing staff to the new pub to help train the new employees to our standards of customer service.

"The Hobson has developed a good reputation over the last two years and I'm hoping to extend that to the Rose, Shamrock & Thistle."

The cash has gone on internal works, including revamping the dining area, in an attempt to re-establish the venue as a food pub.

The venue has gone back to its original name, after the previous licensees abbreviated it to The Rose.