SEVEN Kent pubs have switched to new owners in a £56 million deal.

The Admiral Owen, High Street, Sandwich; The Crown, High St, Shoreham, near Sevenoaks; The Crown and Horses, Sutton Road, Langley, near Maidstone; The Greyhound, Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge; Old House at Home, High St, Queenborough; The Papermakers Arms, Loose Road, Maidstone; and The Prince of Waterloo, Minster Road, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, are among 155 pubs sold by Greene King to Admiral Taverns.

Admiral Taverns, formed in 2003 and based in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, now has more than 1,950 pubs in its growing estate and the latest acquisition strengthens its position as the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of tenanted and leased pubs.

The company says it needs more landlords to cope with this expansion.

Lynne D’Arcy, chief operating officer of Admiral Taverns, said: "Our aim is to build a national network of quality pubs through a programme of acquisition and significant capital investment within our existing estate.

"We have a great network of landlords at present, but with a growing estate we still need to identify more in Kent. We believe in giving landlords the support they need to run things their own way, and would encourage anyone who has a passion for pubs to contact us."

Potential landlords should visit www.admiraltaverns.com for more details.