Ale tasters reach landmark

The group started their unusual odyssey in 1984

Four beer-loving friends from the West Midlands have visited their 11,000th bar after a 20-year pub crawl around Britain.

The self-styled Black Country Ale Tasters spend their weekends travelling around the UK sampling pubs.

They reached the landmark when they visited Bennetts in Birmingham city centre.

The ale tasters earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records after visiting inns in every county of England, Wales and Scotland.

Group member Pete Hill, from West Bromwich, said: "Our love affair with pubs started with Banks's, so we wanted our 11,000th to be in one of theirs.

"Although it may be a big surprise to people we're not massive drinkers, we just love pubs and everything about them."

The group started their unusual odyssey in 1984 when they decided to visit every Banks's outlet in the Black Country.