BREWERY chiefs at Thwaites are remaining tight lipped about the controversial sale of twenty six pubs.

Furious tenants were dumbfounded after it was announced last week that the pubs were being sold off to one company - despite bosses promising licensees the first option to buy.

Speculation is rife that one of three companies has bought all 26 pubs.

But management at Thwaites are not prepared to say who the buyer is.

Two of the three companies linked with the buy-up; Mitchells Brewery in Lancaster and Carlsberg Tetley, denied involvement. The third 'buyer' is understood to be an un-named family firm.

A Thwaites spokesman said: "Last autumn we announced the proposed sale of a number of our public houses in the East Lancashire area, and since there has been a high level of coverage in the local media."

"We hope to be in a position to make a full announcement on this matter in the near future."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.