AS votes for our Pub of the Year competition continue to flood in, one of watering holes in the running for the prize is The Bedwardine.

Our Pub of the Year contest sees readers voting for their favourite establishment in the city, with the winning landlord receiving a trophy and being invited to Parliament by Worcester MP Robin Walker.

We have been inundated with votes and The Bedwardine in St John's has been popular.

The Bromyard Road business is known for being a relaxed, traditional pub with a great atmosphere.

It is run by Sebastian O’Donnell, who took it on around a year ago, having previously been at the Coppertops.

Mr O’Donnell said that in the past year the St John’s pub had gone “from strength-to-strength”.

“I brought over the following I had, it has been fantastic,” he told the Worcester News.

“It has been fantastic to be getting support in the competition," he added. "It would mean so much if we were to win Pub of the Year.”

The pub dates back to the 1850s, having previously been known as the Great Sandmarsh and the Sandpit, before taking the name Bedwardine that remains today.

Mr O’Donnell said The Bedwardine was refurbished, giving it a new lease of life, before he took the pub on and he has continued to keep the venue looking good.

“It is a community hub," he said. "My family live here and we aim to make it home away from home for people.”

He added that there is a great atmosphere, which comes in part from the pub's teams which compete in pool and skittles.

For more on the pub, visit thebedwardineworcester.co.uk.

Anyone can vote for their Pub of the Year, whether a member of staff or a loyal customer, but we only accept slips cut out from the newspaper as votes, to ensure a fair competition.

The voting slip will be published each week, with pub profiles as people nominate their favourite watering holes. The competition winner will be announced in the paper and on our website on Tuesday, December 4.

Worcester News editor Michael Purton said: “There are some brilliant pubs in the area and we want to highlight them.”

If you’d like your favourite pub to be featured, email michael.purton@newsquest.co.uk