A LANDLADY anticipated punters wouldn't be bitter when they found their local was an alcohol-free zone over the weekend.

Traffic jams and hangovers are the two things people try to avoid over the bank holiday.

So Julia Welsh, landlady of the Dog and Gun Inn, at Low Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, called time on pints and shorts and replaced them with soft drinks and fruit juices.

Julia said: "We thought we would have an alcohol-free weekend, for people sick of a bank holiday hangover. It's a little bit different.

"We concentrated on serving food instead and got lots of families coming along.