PUBS have been in the news for one reason or another this week.

The boozer formerly known as Durty Gurty’s has been given an unsightly blue makeover and rebranded as ‘Bar Metro 696969’.

Since 1995 it has always been a bit of a rough and ready Irish bar – so I’m not pretending it should have listed building status – but its new look is awful. It's a monstrosity.

The brains behind the idea is Metro cabs who have ‘sponsored’ the pub to change its name.

It is a very clever marketing ploy because not only is it eye-catching, but it quickly caught the attention of our Newsdesk – so the company has got some good free advertising out of it.

The story was our most read online and despite the largely negative reaction from readers – who have echoed my own thoughts with their comments on Facebook – I doubt bosses at Metro will mind. All publicity is good publicity.

The stunt is very canny from another perspective too. At 1am, when you are walking around town looking for a taxi home, you only need ask at the bar – or indeed look up at the sign to know who to call.

I still maintain that it looks bloody awful, though, and I hope that the bar staff don’t give the same service you get from some taxi firms.

You order a drink and 15 minutes later, it still hasn’t turned up. So you ask them where it is only to be told, ‘It’s coming now love – it’s just round the corner’.

Bar Metro is not the only boozer to make headlines. The Red Lion in Blackrod will finally be bulldozed after planning chiefs this week gave permission for five new homes to be built on the site.

Campaigners had worked to try and prevent the historic pub from being pulled down and replaced with houses, but the scheme will now go ahead.

I share the views of Blackrod councillor Ann Cunliffe who said that with the loss of a pub some of the character of an area is also lost.

Pubs across the UK — but especially in Bolton and its surrounding towns and villages — are fast in decline.

There are a number of reasons why this is, from cheap supermarket booze, to high business rates.

But as I have said before in this column, when it comes to your local pub, it is a case of use it or lose it.

So next time you think about picking up a £5 bottle of plonk from Asda, leave it on the shelf and head to the pub instead — you owe it to your country.