A PUB manager who faced a manslaughter charge after a man died in a bar brawl will not be returning to work at the pub where the incident happened.

Steven Webb, 35, has decided to leave his job at the Rise Carr Hotel, Whessoe Road, Darlington after the death of David Willis, 51, last month.

Mr Willis died after troubled flared at the pub on the evening of Saturday, May 18. The pub has been closed since the incident.

Mr Webb was charged with manslaughter, but the charges were dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence.

A spokeswoman for Hartlepool brewer Pubmaster, which owns the pub, said: "The tenant at the Rise Carr has taken the decision to leave. The pub is temporarily closed whilst we look for new tenants. Pubmaster is currently in the process of seeking a new tenant for the Rise Carr and any interested parties can contact us."

After the attack, Mr Willis, of William Street, Darlington was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital suffering from head injuries, a fractured skull and a broken jaw.

He was later transferred to Middlesbrough General Hospital where he died five days later.