John Hanley had some explaining to do when he woke up with a hangover - and the deeds to his local pub.

The 42-year-old butcher had to tell his wife, Lorraine, the following morning that he had popped out for a pint and ended up buying the bar.

John went to the Hamsteels Inn, at Quebec, in County Durham, for his usual mid-week pint.

The owner was about to move to London, and was applying for planning permission to turn the pub into a house.

Regulars in the tiny village raised an 80-signature petition but were still facing the loss of their only watering hole until John, after a few beers, agreed to take up the lease.

He said: "I have never changed a barrel of beer in my life and never served behind a bar but the owner said it was to close within 24 hours if no one stepped in to take it over. "I couldn't let the place close down so I agreed to give it a go. All the regulars were delighted, but I still had to go home and explain what I had done to Lorraine.

"She was shocked at first, but after she got over it she was very supportive.

"The whole village is behind me. I have done this for Quebec not for myself."

John now closes his butcher's shop in nearby Langley Park at 5.30pm, goes home for a bite to eat, and then opens the Hamsteels at 7pm every evening.

Villager Graham Forster led the campaign to save the Hamsteels because he was born in the pub 41 years ago when his grandmother ran it.

He said: "The Hamsteels has been there for over 100 years and if it had closed we would have been left with nothing."