A PUB landlord is looking forward to welcoming punters back tomorrow with a new mural honouring the nation’s heroes.

Alan Marshall, who runs the Duke of Wellington, in Consett, had the powerful painting done on the walls of his beer garden.

Local artist Glenn Malpass did the work on the Medomsley Road boozer, which includes a soldier’s silhouette, a Union Flag and poppy fields to recognise the UK’s military.

There is also a rainbow representing the health workers who have put there lives on the line to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mural also includes the steelworks site, which once dominated the former industrial town’s skyline.

Mr Malpass said: “Alan wanted to show appreciation to the NHS staff as well as veterans in the military.

“He wanted to show appreciation to all of our heroes, past present and future.”

Mr Marshall is a trustee of the Consett-based military charity I Support A Hero, which was started by former police officer Shaun Bailey and his daughter, Helen.

Mr Marshall said: “Initially, I wanted to create a wishing well from whisky barrel in memory of all of those people who had died from Covid.

“I got the artist up here and asked him to do something for the NHS and I Support A Hero. We also wanted some local stuff in to smarten the place up. I am one of the only pubs in Consett with a beer garden.

“He has done a good job.”

Mr Marshall said he is reopening on Saturday and expects it to be ‘chockablock’.

He said: “I am going to open up but there will be faceguards on the staff and there is no service at the bar.

“It is really all table service, although outside they can do ‘vertical drinking’, or standing up.

“It is up to people to look after themselves as well. It is just common sense.

“I will have to put up the prices by around 20 per cent or something because I am only going to be able to operate at a third of the capacity.

“People have said: ‘Do what you have got to do’. They appreciate we cannot operate at a loss.

“I think people do realise that and they just want to come out for a pint.

“But if they are daftees then they will be getting chucked out.”