A HODDLESDEN man -- believed to be the area's longest serving landlord -- has died at the age of 56 after running the Ranken Arms pub for 20 years.

Allan Wilkinson and his wife Lynette became familiar faces behind the bar and, after living in Hoddlesden all his life, Allan was a popular member of the community.

Friends and family gathered to paid their final respects yesterday when a service and burial was held at Pickup Bank Chapel.

Mr Wilkinson, died after a short illness on Wednesday, October 1 at the East Lancashire Hospice, Blackburn.

He also leaves sons Simon and Peter, his mother Freda, brothers Kenneth and Stephen, and four grandchildren.

Lynette said: "He was a very popular man and we had a lot of people at the funeral, friends, customers and ex-workers. He was fun loving and a family man."

Mr Wilkinson trained as a ladies and gents hairdresser before briefly becoming a postman.

He then worked as a dry liner in the building trade for 12 years before marrying Lynette in 1982 and taking over the Ranken Arms the following year.

He enjoyed photography and liked to take still life shots and photographs of the countryside.

Ward councillor Fred Slater said: "He was a well-liked member of the community. I knew him for many years and always found him a nice chap to deal with. It will be a terrible blow to his wife and family.

"I think he's been the longest serving landlord at the Ranken Arms and possibly the longest serving landlord in Darwen. I knew him not just because he was the landlord but I considered him to be a friend as well."

His family asked for donations to the hospice instead of flowers.