A WARMINSTER pub has been bought by a company who hope to modernise it.

The Yew Tree Inn in Boreham Road, was bought by Celtic Inns as part of a continued expansion in the UK.

The purchase was part of an investment of more than £1m by the company in four pubs in the south of England and Wales.

It brings the number of pubs owned by the group to 61 as it seeks to build an estate of 100 in the next three years.

The investments were funded through a £10m acquisition fund, which Celtic Inns secured last year from Sand Aire Private Equity and Royal Bank of Scotland.

An ongoing programme is under way to identify suitable community pubs to bring into its portfolio, and a number of other possible purchases are in the pipeline.

Executive director Clive Williams said the investments carried the company further along its planned expansion route.

"These are very much the kind of community pubs which we want to bring into the Celtic Inns portfolio," he said.

"We continue to be on the investment trail, and are in the market to acquire pubs both singly and, ideally, in groups.

"We remain very interested to hear from any owner or operator who is considering a sale."