A FORMER landlord who ran a village pub for 17 years has died after a short illness, aged 76.

Ken Hagan was a well known figure in Egerton in charge of The Globe pub in the centre of the village until the late 1970s.

Mr Hagan, who was brought up in Manchester, served in the Navy and held a variety of jobs before moving his family from Alkrington to picturesque Egerton.

The father-of-three, with seven grandchildren, set-up his own parcel delivery service called Northern Courier Service, towards the end of his career in the licensing trade, before creating an off-shoot company worth almost £4m called Document Interlink.

Mr Hagan married Mavis 48 years ago and they had two sons Paul and Chris and daughter Susan.

Mr Hagan of Dewhurst Close, Egerton, died last Friday at the Royal Bolton Hospital after contracting pneumonia.

His son Paul, aged 43, who also lives in Egerton, said: "My dad was a real character and everyone knew him for being larger than life. He was a good, old fashioned landlord."

Mr Hagan's funeral service was due to be held at St John's Church, Bromley Cross, at 1pm today before committal at Overdale.