'A piece of Black Country heritage gone for good'

Terry Cole, landlord of the The Royal Oak, said the brewery closure was "heartbreaking"

As Banks's Brewery produces its last beer at its 150-year-old site in Wolverhampton, a former worker, landlord and resident explain what the loss means to them and the city ahead of it closing later this month.

Operations first started at the brewery in 1875, but it was announced last year by owners Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) that it was to close in its 150th year due to company restructuring.

Drink production is moving to Burton upon Trent. Up to 97 people work at the Wolverhampton site.

Martin Lovatt, a former electrician at Banks's, said it was a great place to work and he would "be forever proud of the beers we produced".

"I retired from Banks's five years ago," the 68-year-old, who now lives in Cyprus, said.

"As I left, Carlsberg were just coming in. It was supposed to be a merger not a takeover, we already knew them well as we brewed a lot of beer for them.

"Problem was that the equipment all through Wolverhampton was old and needed investment, so it was always a question, will they invest or will they close.

"It's a piece of Black Country heritage gone for good."

The brewery in the Chapel Ash area has been operating since 1875

Growing up in Wolverhampton, Mr Lovatt said he remembered the smell of the brewery as he travelled through Chapel Ash and had loved the scent ever since.

He said: "The Banks's name and the Banks's beers are an integral part of Wolverhampton. Although I'm sure some of their brands will continue to be brewed elsewhere, it's not the same.

"I personally had a career in the printing industry and only went into Banks's in later years.

"When I retired, I moved to Cyprus where I got a job in a microbrewery here, in no time at all they had me brewing their beers too."

Ray Smith, 67, who lives in Wolverhampton, said he mourned the loss of the brewery and its products.

"Looking back over the years Banks's has been a big part of the lives of many families in Wolverhampton, socially, serving fantastic beers - Banks's Mild and Bitter being a favourite, and through employment through many generations of workers," he said.

"I think its closure will be a big loss, socially and also affect those employed at the brewery, taking away another piece of Wolverhampton history."

Martin Lovatt was a former electrician at Banks's and said it was a great place to work

Terry Cole, landlord of the The Royal Oak, who took delivery of the last barrels of Banks's Mild, Banks's Sunbeam and Marston's Old Empire in January, said the loss was "heartbreaking".

"It's something that's been in Wolverhampton for so long," he said.

"You'd smell it being brewed when you were younger and everyone knew it, but it's no more and it's so sad.

"It's the final nail in the coffin for Banks's I'm afraid.

"We still have the bitter and we do three or four barrels a week and it's popular, but customers will just have to get used to it being elsewhere.

"My customers are just disappointed [at the closure]. It's just something that's always been here but not any more."

The firm previously said the decision to leave Wolverhampton was made as part of a restructuring of the wider CMBC operation.

It announced in July it would be the first occupier of a huge purpose-built logistics hub by the M6 motorway in Staffordshire.

At the time, Paul Davies, CEO of Carlsberg Britvic, said the £4m investment underscored the firm's long-term commitment to "strengthening our operations" and our home within the region.

Slade frontman Noddy Holder and Roger Moore were among celebrities to promote the brewer