A POPULAR Burnley pub boss has been taken seriously ill while on holiday in Turkey.

Ian Jagger, landlord of the Gordon Lennox Arms, Cliviger, suffered a stroke and a heart attack while staying in the Mediterranean resort of Marmaris with his girlfriend, Brenda.

He is recovering after an emergency operation to relieve the pressure on his brain caused by the stroke, which he suffered last week.

His family have flown out to Turkey to be by his side.

Family friend John Cowell, who is looking after the pub for Ian, said everyone was shocked by the news.

He said: "Ian had a stroke which then brought on a heart attack.

"He was taken to hospital and has had an operation to relieve the pressure on his brain.

"He has recovered a bit and is now in a wheelchair.

"Some of his family have gone out to Turkey to be with him, including his brothers, Arthur and Steven, and his son Gareth.

"Our thoughts are obviously with Ian and his family and we wish him all the best for his recovery.

"It's hard to speculate what may have caused the stroke but Ian had been working very hard recently so maybe it was stress-related."

Ian has been in the pub trade for ten years and is well-known locally after pulling pints at The Brunshaw, Brunshaw Road, Burnley, for two -and-a-half years, and earlier at the Derby Hotel, Colne.

In 2002, just three weeks after taking over the helm at the Gordon Lennox, Ian fought off an armed robber brandishing a 16-inch carving knife.