A LANDLADY has vowed to turn a pub nicknamed "the Flying Bottle" by the police because of its violent past into a respectable community bar.

Despite objections from police officers, Carol Jones was granted a licence for the Railway, in Railway Road, Darwen, despite having been arrested during a Blackburn town centre brawl three years ago.

And after the hearing before Blackburn magistrates, Mrs Jones and her husband, David, vowed to give it their "best shot."

Carol, 43, said: "We are going into this with our eyes wide open.

"The magistrates have given me the chance to prove myself. which is all I wanted.

"Having my own pub has always been my dream and I am determined to make it work.

"The police have made it quite clear what problems I face but I am a strong person and I have set my mind on making the Railway a respectable community pub.

"I won't be tolerating any nonsense."

Police objected to Mrs Jones taking over the pub because they felt she was too inexperienced. PS Ian Hanson said the place was known by them as "the Flying Bottle" because of the amount of trouble at the town centre pub. "Over the years it has become the number one problem premises in Darwen," said PS Hanson.

"As well as disorder situations it also has a reputation for drugs and, more recently, the sale of stolen property. It needs a strong, experienced licensee and we do not believe Mrs Jones fits the bill."

PS Hanson said that he visited the pub five weeks before the hearing and found it operating without a licensee.

"It was operating with what I can only describe as a cavalier attitude to the licensing laws and I closed it immediately," he said.

After her application to take over the pub, Mrs Jones was interviewed and her arrest in September 2000 came to light.

Sergeant Garry Moore told the court he was working on the tactical support unit at that time and was called to a disturbance in Northgate, Blackburn, in the early hours of the morning.

He said a number of people were involved in a brawl outside a pizza takeaway and one of them was Mrs Jones.

Her husband was also arrested and both were dealt with by way of a police caution.

Craig Burman, representing Mrs Jones, said the incident in 2000 had been out of character and her record was otherwise unblemished.

He said his client should be given the chance to prove herself capable of running the Railway.

"If there are problems I am sure the police will apply for revocation or object to the full transfer of the licence," said Mr Burman.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Jones said she bore no grudge against the police.

"They have their job to do and now I have mine," said Mrs Jones. "Like any good landlord, I will be working closely with the police.

"We are aware of all the problems and we will tackle them."

She said initially hange at the pub.

"We will be giving it a lick of paint and tidying things up as we go along," said Mrs Jones.

"We lived in Darwen for two years, we know the people and I think we know what they want in a community pub."