PUB talk in Bentham has been limited by order of the landlord.

Kevin Lord, mine host at The Byres, has banned certain topics of conversation because he is so fed up of hearing about them.

Top of the list is Tony Blair and George Bush, but chit-chat about Coronation Street killer Richard Hillman is also outlawed and gossip about soap operas and marriage are strictly off limits.

Kevin feels so strongly he has even put up a sign outside the hostelry, warning anyone whose tongue strays onto forbidden territory to expect dire consequences.

"It all started when we were in the pub trying to have a decent conversation and people were talking about Richard Hillman. I'd never heard of him and I thought it must have been a local person, and when I asked and they said it was Corrie I couldn't believe it.

"If it was Big Brother time I'd have put that on as well, and Pop Idol," Kevin told the Herald. "I have had a lot of good reaction to the sign, people thought it was quite funny. People don't come in just to drink beer, they like to have a laugh too," he added.

Topics of conversation allowed in The Byres include motorbikes and music as it is a bikers and blues pub. Anything else not listed on Kevin's sign is fair game too.