THE family of a Cookley woman who ran pubs across the Kidderminster area for 40 years have paid tribute to an 'unbeatable landlady' and 'wonderful mother'.

Mum-of-two Nuala Campbell was well-known by local pubgoers, having ran the Farmer's Boy in Comberton Hill for 15 years in the 1970s and 80s, before taking on the Eagle and Spur in Cookley where she worked for 11 years until her death last month.

One of 10 children born on the family farm in Tipperary, Ireland, Nuala and her then husband Bill moved to Kidderminster in 1977 and started work at the Farmer's Boy, during which time their sons Richard and John were born.

The pair moved to The Cross in Kinver in 1992 and Nuala took over the Eagle and Spur in Castle Road in 2008, transforming the pub into a community hub for local groups including the village choir and cricket team, as well as hosting charity events.

Around 400 people turned out to pay their respects to Nuala at a funeral at St Peter's Church on March 5, and her family say they have been overwhelmed by the number of kind messages sent to the Eagle and Spur's Facebook page.

Her oldest son Richard, 34, said: "I knew mum was popular but some of the messages we've received have been so accurate and touching - that has been a surprise to me.

"A lot of people have had nice things to say about mum since she died. She's been described as lovely, kind, friendly, welcoming, wonderful and warm-hearted. I agree with all of that, but she was also strong, brave, loyal and hard-working.

"Her and dad first started running pubs in fairly tough areas of Birmingham at the age of 21 - fresh out of the Irish countryside.

"She ran pubs by herself for 20 years. It was a huge part of her life.

"Mum was an unbeatable landlady but most of all a wonderful mother."

Nuala died unexpectedly on February 19, aged 63.