A village is today rallying round the family that runs its local after a fire devastated the pub.
The blaze broke out at The White Swan, in Ovingham, Northumberland, overnight on Saturday.
Believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, the fire ripped through the much-loved village pub, which had been recently refurbished.
No one was injured, but the flames caused severe damage to the inside of the building, on Main Street.
Licensee John Sharkey, says it could be sometime before the family-run pub can be re-opened.
But he has today thanked villagers for their support.
He said: “ My wife Lyndsey and I are very grateful to all the people who supported us on the night particularly our neighbours who took our family in during the fire.
"The fire service were fantastic – we really appreciated their quick response and all they did to put the fire out.
"We’ve been overwhelmed by the many messages and good wishes from the community, it means a lot to us at a difficult time and we’d like to thank them."
The White Swan's building is owned by Star Pubs & Bars.
A spokeswoman added: "The pub is both fire and water damaged. We’re unable to say when it will reopen until the extent of the damage and likely repair time are known. The White Swan is a very popular pub and we hope to keep the closure time to a minimum. We’d also like to thank the fire service."
John and his family took over The White Swan around five years ago and gave the run-down pub a new lease of life.
The traditional village pub benefited from a 150k refurbishment, which included the installation of a new upgraded kitchen.
John, who was previously a steward at Westerhope Golf Club, runs the pub with his wife and has two daughters, Amy and Evie.
The family told regulars what had happened with a post on Facebook, which attracted more than 250 comments from well-wishers.
John added: "We’re looking forward to getting the pub reopen as soon as possible. We also run The Engine at Walbottle and we’ll be giving a warm welcome to all our White Swan regulars there in the meantime."
