THERE was peace and quiet in a pub when a notoriously chatty barmaid went silent for charity recently.

Laura Robson is better known for her banter behind the bar than she is for keeping schtum, so regulars at Frankies Bar were surprised when she refused to speak to them for four and a half hours.

The 29-year-old embarked upon her sponsored silence after staff and customers told her she’d never be able to keep quiet for long enough.

She soon proved them wrong, staying silent for her entire shift while raising more than £1000 for St Teresa’s Hospice in the process.

Ms Robson said: “I’ve never been so happy to be able to talk again.

“I’m so pleased to have raised the money for St Teresa’s as it’s a charity close to all of our hearts.”

Susannah Cosgrove, the bar’s landlady, added: “We chose the charity because a lot of people in the pub have had relatives stay there and everyone has some kind of connection to the hospice.

“It was very, very hard for Laura - she had to have a little whiteboard to write everything down on.

“She was amazing and a big cheer went up when she’d finished.

“The customers and staff are very, very proud of her.

“I think her first words when she finished were hallelujah, followed by some swearing.”