Customers at a village pub have been a rewarded with a barrel of beer each after 50 years of loyalty.

The group of seven were given a barrel of Courage Best Bitter in appreciation of their patronage to the Stone Horse, in Dillywood Lane, Higham.

Meg Franklin, 23, has been landlady for three months after previously working in the kitchen and behind the bar for a number of years.

She said she wanted to give the customers something back after all their years of loyalty. “We thought it was an achievement and something to celebrate,” she said.

“Not many people drink in the same pub for that long and it’s something we wanted to thank them for.”