A DESIGN company has transformed a historic County Durham pub with a £140,000 refurbishment.

Portland Interior Design, based in Jesmond, Newcastle, has revamped the Grade II-listed Grey Horse pub, on Byerley Road, in Shildon.

"The Grey Horse is an old pub which has a great central position in the town as well as great railway heritage and we wanted to pay tribute to that with the new interior," said Portland's Gary Gaffney.

"Despite the fact that we haven't knocked any walls down, the new interior has really made the pub look twice the size and is a great mix of modern and traditional."

John and Joan Bowman have taken over the pub.