A COUPLE who have run a village pub for 17 years pulled their last pints last night.

Mr Les Scaife and his wife, Carol, have sold The Angel Hotel, at Catterick Village, and moved this week to a new home in nearby Scotton.

The couple took over The Angel as tenants 17 years ago and bought it from the Bass Brewery several years later.

"We hadn't run a pub before, but we have enjoyed running the business in Catterick very much," said Carol.

Both have been heavily involved in the local community. Mr Scaife was a parish councillor and, like all the family, has a strong interest in environmental issues.

Their daughter, Linda, organised a protest against the removal of gorse bushes from a riverside spot this year, which goes back before a committee meeting this evening.

Their other daughter, Claire, returned from America before Christmas after a trip to the Options Institute, where she and partner, Tim, received training in how to help their son, Jake, who suffers from autism. The visit was paid for with cash raised through a public appeal.

New landlords, Ian Wood and Sue Obridge, who come from Leeds, were also at the farewell party last night.