A TEAM of Polish thatchers are using traditional skills to give a classic feel to a modern pub.

The six thatchers are working on a £2m pub in Dunston Road, Hartlepool, which is due to open by the end of February.

It is thought the 7,500 sq ft traditional oak-panelled pub will be the only thatched building in the Hartlepool area.

Master thatcher Peter Brugge, who contracted the Polish team, explained that there were very few thatched buildings in the North-East.

He said: "There isn't really the tradition of thatching in the North-East, unlike the South.

"Many new buildings in the green belt around London are thatched to fit in with planning regulations.

"However, up here this building should really stand out. The thatch is with water-reed and is just as effective as slate.

"It's not like straw and there is no problem with mice or anything like that. It makes no difference to the insurance costs."

Leo Gillen, whose family company has a number of stores and pubs in Hartlepool, commissioned the work. He said: "The thatched roof will be eco-friendly and will fit in very well with the nice, traditional atmosphere of the pub."