FOUR Rossendale pubs are central to a round of New Year acquisitions by national pub company InnSpired.

The group was keen to expand its estate in the north and soon spotted the potential in the former Valley Inns Ltd bars, which was good news for the pubs' existing tenants.

The licensees at the Ashworth Arms, Rawtenstall, the Commercial, Water, the Crown, Rawtenstall, and the Jolly Sailor, Waterfoot, will all remain in situ and benefit from InnSpired's training and support packages.

InnSpired which formed in January 2000 following the merger between Ushers of Trowbridge and the Alehouse Company currently owns 1,019 tenanted pubs throughout the UK from Cornwall to Gateshead.

The company headquarters are now based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Peter Brook, chief executive of InnSpired Group, said: "These pubs are ideal InnSpired businesses.

"They all play an important part in Rossendale life and we hope that we can help the existing tenants continue this good work."