Britain’s oldest pub celebrated the historic role of pubs last week with a visit from a St Albans MP.

Ann Main MP pulled some pints behind the bar at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans on Friday, 31 March, and discussed the history of British pubs with landlord Christo Tofalli.

The event also marked English Tourism Week where tourism businesses kick off the holiday season by promoting their plans for the summer.

Mrs Main said: “Ye Olde Fighting Cocks is part of the huge historic offering that is St Albans.

“People don't just come to look at the cathedral, they come to see the architecture, Verulamium Park and to get the whole feel of what St Albans would have been like in past-times.

The pub’s existence can be traced back to 793AD, making it 1,222 years old, though it was originally built near St Albans Abby and was moved to its current site in 1539.

Mrs Main added: “This is why our offering is enormously important to overseas visitors, particularly Americans as they have nothing like this and this is what they really want to see."

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks won the Best Pub in St Albans award in 2012, 2013 and 2016 and was taken over by Mr Tofalli in 2012.