A SWINDON pub has assured the legacy of one of its best customers.

Former dustman David Barrett, 69, has been a regular at the Sun Inn at Coate for 45 years, walking or cycling in from his home in Welcombe Avenue in Park North five days a week to enjoy his favourite Arkell's Smooth.

Now staff have marked his favourite spot at the bar with a brass plaque marking almost half a century of his pub exploits which have also included decorating the pub and helping with the gardening.

His interest in the pub sparked when arriving in the town for work back the late 1960s.

Mr Barrett, originally from Shepherds Bush in London, said: "I was in a furniture van and we drove past and I said to myself this is the one, this will be my local and it has been that way ever since.

"I have been to one or two other pubs in the area but they have never been as good and friendly as they are here.

"I usually cycle to the pub, and I find that if I have had a little bit too much to drink to cycle home then someone will give me a lift.

"The plaque is a nice surprise and I guess it means that if I find someone sitting there, I can safely ask them to get off my seat, because it has my name on it."

The football fan, who is a keen supporter of both Swindon Town and Brentford, said: "I have seen lots of changes here though.

"I guess I have seen about 23 governors (landlords) and I remember a time when the pub was less than half the size it is now.

"Of course we didn't always have televisions to watch the football either and I am always watching the big games here."

The Sun Inn's position on the road into Swindon always ensures that it gets some interesting visitors, and if they do come in, David is there to meet them.

"We would regularly get Town footballers in from over the years but I remember one time we had The Kinks in for some drinks before they went into town for some gig.

"I seem to remember that they were doing a lot of travelling at the time."

Landlord Martin Hodson said that he had recently worked out that over the past 45 years Mr Barrett had probably drunk the contents of around 130 barrels of beer, with each barrel producing some 500 pints.

Mr Hodson said: "David has become a member of family here and I think he probably knows the place better than we do and he has really proved his worth over the years.

"He decorated the pub upstairs and downstairs and has done a lot of the gardening.

"If he had a loyalty card for all the times he has been here David would be earning holidays off it, so it's a fitting tribute to recognise this."