Thwaites is putting more than 20 of its local pubs up for sale. But the Blackburn-based firm is looking to buy more pubs outside the area as it continues to expand its estate throughout the North of England.

The firm said the pubs it was selling were in areas where Thwaites was currently "over-represented"

Thwaites has recently bought pubs in Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria and is now looking for more throughout the North.

"We have taken steps in purchasing new pubs and we are in turn putting some of our existing houses on the market - houses which fall outside our long term development plans," said Malcolm Harrison, Thwaites' property director. "We are proud of our reputation not only as a family-controlled and independent brewery but also as a caring employer, and our policy is to give existing tenants of these houses an opportunity to purchase."

The firm said that trading generally was buoyant and that new beer launches had been highly successful.

Sales of its Thwaites Smooth - promoted by Coronation Street's Reg Holdsworth - are set to reach the three million pints mark and two new cask beers are also soon to be launched.

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