A POPULAR home-brew pub is the subject of a political turf war.

Two MPs are each claiming the The Black Bull in Tockholes on the border between their seats as their own.

Rossendale and Darwen Conservative MP Jake Berry shortlisted the hostelry on Brokenstone Road for his entry for the Autumn's Parliamentary Pub of The Year competition after hundreds of his constituents in the village nominated it for the honour.

Now his Blackburn Labour counterpart Kate Hollern has pointed out the pub is in her constituency and offered the Northern Powerhouse minister neighbour a geography lesson.

After the Black Bull just missed out on Mr Berry's final competition nomination to The Crown in Darwen, she is considering shortlisting the Tockholes watering hole for her own recommendation to the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group.

Landlord Robert Bell, who reopened The Black Bull in 2011, is happy to see his pub claimed by both MPs and said: "The more the merrier!"

Mr Berry said: "As the MP for Rossendale & Darwen I also represent many surrounding rural areas including Tockholes.

"So after receiving hundreds of nominations from my constituents for the Black Bull which is in Tockholes, I was happy to shortlist it as one of our best local pubs even though it's literally two metres across the parliamentary boundary.

"The Black Bull is a brilliant local pub but it was just pipped to the post by The Crown in Darwen which will now go forward as my nomination to the Parliamentary Pub of The Year finals.

The good news for the Black Bull is that they could still qualify as Blackburn's entry for the competition and as such I'd encourage Kate Hollern to consider putting the Black Bull forward as her nomination."

Mrs Hollern said: "I was delighted to see the Black Bull score so highly amongst the nominations made to Jake and that one of the most popular pubs in his constituency is in fact in my constituency!

"I would be happy to nominate the Black Bull but knowing that there are so many excellent licensed premises across Blackburn I intend to also invite other nominations so that a shortlist can be drawn up.

" In the meantime I will be arranging for Jake to have some geography lessons’

Mr Bell, who runs the pub and brewery with wife Wendy and sons Scott and Mark, started brewing his famous Three Bs beers there soon after taking over the inn seven years ago.

He said: "I am delighted to be the subject of the attention of two MPs and it would be great to be nominated.

"They and their constituents are very welcome here."

The former coaching house was the first pub to be purchased by Daniel Thwaites in 1834. However, the Blackburn brewer called last orders in 2009 and it remained empty until February 2011 when the Bells bought it.