STUDENT Andrew Pringle blamed the "Lager Monkey" for drinking away his grant cheques -- now he's launched a business in its honour!

When Andrew studied computers at West Herts College he would wake up after a heavy night hung-over and with an empty wallet.

"The joke my friends and I had was that the Lager Monkey had nicked all our money," he said.

Since then the former software designer has gone into business with tattooists Mark Parker, 44, of Inkspiration, in Blackburn Road, Accrington, and Allan Douglas, 39, of Body Marks, in Preston.

Andrew , 35, is now a director of the "Lager Monkey" off-licence in Blackburn Road, Accrington, which opened two weeks ago, and a similar shop in Preston.

And the partners offer an unusual method of selling beer -- from a draught pump in takeaway containers similar to a supermarket's milk cartons.

Although the method is uncommon today, off-licences used to pour beer into your jug to take home 30 or 40 years ago.

Andrew, from Preston, said: "It comes from the joke we used to have at college. I registered the name afterwards for a web-based magazine for students and young people but this never took off.

"Then after I decided to go into business with Mark and Dougie I said I had the perfect name for the business. And since we adopted it nobody seems able to forget it.

"We also wanted to offer something different and decided that draught beer served form proper pumps into containers for you to take home was a good idea.

"Our other shop in Preston does this but as far as we know we are the only ones in the country."

Roy Hartley, of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: "Selling draught beer this way does happen I have seen a few around the country doing this, but it is not that common.

"There was an off-licence in Church about five years ago and I know of one in Preston doing it now.

"But years ago this is exactly what they used to do. I remember, when I was at school, of lads going to the off-licence with a jug to take some home for their parents .

"In those days, about 30 or 40 years ago, people couldn't afford to drink out and used to drink a lot at home and get it from the off-licence or the pub."