TWO of the finalists in the Adver's search for Swindon's best pub have explained why they deserve your votes.

After we whittled down hundreds of suggestions from our loyal readers who put forward their favourite local boozer, it's now up to you to decide the winner.

Each edition of the Adver in the next two weeks will have tokens which can be collected and sent in to us. The pub with the most tokens will emerge triumphant and be honoured with the title of Swindon's Best Pub.

In the meantime, we're chatting to the landlords of each pub to give them a chance to have their say and rally their fans to garner as many votes as possible.

The Runner and The Swiss Chalet each said their piece earlier this week, and now it's the turn of The Clifton and The Victoria.

'The Vic' is a much-loved Old Town staple which has become well-known for hosting live music.

Landlord Darren Simons said: "We feel honoured to have been voted one of Swindon's favourite pubs, it's truly heartwarming.

"We pride ourselves on providing a range of top entertainment, whether it be live bands, karaoke, or comedy.

"We are also proud to maintain a more traditional pub vibe in this modern era of swanky bars and clubs.

"I think that is our fundamental appeal, and it's timeless."

The Clifton on Clifton Street has had a bit of a makeover since Vicky Turner, her daughter Lauren and fiancee James took over the pub in November.

They hope to make it a must-visit destination for football fans when the big matches are on telly, as well as a friendly social hub for the area.

Vicky told the Adver: "We're really excited to be in the top 10. We put our heart and soul into this, so to be selected is amazing.

"We are very grateful for all our customers, we don't take them for granted and are always looking for ways to make the pub the best it can be.

"It's the personal touch that customers appreciate. There's always at least one of the family behind the bar, it's a team effort, so they get invested in us and we get invested in them.

"You can go on your own and you'll always find someone to chat to or play pool with, it's a really friendly pub."