REGULARS who voted their pub as the perfect hostelry could be in line for a week of free beer.

The Grey Horse, in Consett, has won the Tyne-Tees region of the Abbot Ale Perfect Pub Awards, after customers nominated it in a national competition run by a leading independent brewer, Greene King.

Rooney Anand, managing director of Greene King Brewing Company, said: "We launched a nationwide search and the response was fantastic.

"Everyone has their idea of a perfect pub, so we kept the rules as flexible as possible.

"It didn't matter that it was in the centre of town or the middle of the country, the main thing was that it provided the community with their ideal pub and served a great pint."

A judge will go undercover and visit each of the regional winners in the next few weeks. If the Grey Horse is crowned national champion, landlord Paul Conroy will get a plaque to go over the bar and a week's supply of free ale for his regulars.