It may be cold outside but our Festive Pub of the Year competition is really hotting up.

With just five days left to nominate your local pub, Review readers have been voting in numbers.

The Retailer of the Year committee - which comprises of the Review, St Albans District Council, St Albans Chamber and St Albans Civic Society - has challenged city centre pubs to push the boat out in a bid to be crowned St Albans Festive Pub of the Year, a title won by The White Lion in Sopwell Lane last year.

In the last seven days The Cock in St Peters Street, last year's winner The White Lion, the Spotted Bull, in Verulam Road and the Waterend Barn have all been nominated.

Other nominations recently received include Crosskeys, Lower Red Lion, Farmers Boy, Robin Hood, Bar 62 and the Hare and Hounds.

Anybody can nominate a pub as long as it is based in the area shown on our map. The pub will then be put to the test by our team of mystery drinkers.

They will mark each establishment on criteria including service, drinks selection, decorations and atmosphere.

The closing date for nominations is noon on December 9.

To nominate a pub you can email the name and address of the pub to revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk or you can nominate a pub by text. Send your text to 80360 starting with the words ‘festivepub’ leave a space and then the name of your pub.

Calls cost no more than 25p per call from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Texts cost 25p plus your normal operator text charge.