HISTORIANS claim a case of mistaken identity has left a pub adorned with tributes to the wrong man.

Caroline Smith and Peter Butterworth have just reopened the Hargreaves Arms, in Accrington, following a major refurbishment. As part of the revamp, they spent about £2,000 on an impressive new swinging sign outside the Manchester Road pub.

But instead of depicting John Hargreaves -- the man from Broad Oak, Accrington, who built the pub in 1834 -- the sign shows a painting of James Hargreaves, the man from Stanhill, Oswaldtwistle, who transformed the weaving industry when he invented the Spinning Jenny. There is also a beautifully written notice board featuring a detailed biography of the same man. Caroline and Peter insist it is not a case of mistaken identity -- but a deliberate move because the history of James Hargreaves made interesting reading. "We have done it on purpose. It is not a mistake. We did all the design work ourselves," said Caroline.

"We were reading up about the history and we just thought the history of James Hargreaves was very interesting."

But Josie Green, secretary of Hyndburn Local History Society, said it was an appalling clanger.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it. It is so utterly stupid. What a clanger. They have rewritten history," she said.

"These are facts in Accrington's history and it is ridiculous to confuse this with the story of James Hargreaves of Spinning Jenny fame.

"Hargreaves has always been a common name in East Lancashire and James was not related to the Broad Oak family and had no connection with the Hargreaves Arms."

The pub -- which reopened last Thursday after a couple of years as Mighty Muldoons -- was built in 1834 by John Hargreaves, of Broad Oak, the eldest son of Thomas Hargreaves, of Oak Hill. The Hargreaves family was the foremost family in Accrington at the time and the largest employers at Broad Oak Printworks and associated works.

Most of the building on the south side of Accrington was due to them -- Oak Hill itself in 1815, Warner Street in 1821, Broad Oak Mill in Church Street in 1834 and the home of family members at Broad Oak House, Bank House and Arden Hall.

Houses were built for their employees in Warner Street, Manchester Road, Christ Church Square and Bank Terrace.

To infuriate the historians even more, the notice board has spelt Stanhill wrong -- saying James Hargreaves of "Standhill."