A BOSCOMBE bar has been nominated for a top award - for the third year running.

Chaplin's and the Cellar Bar has once again appeared on the shortlists as part of the Great British Pub Awards.

The venue is this year among six finalists in the 'best live entertainment pub' award.

Owner Harry Seccombe said: "We're in the final six for our category, and this year it's not a regional competition but a national one.

"We're up against pubs and bars from places like London and Manchester.

"The ceremony will take place on October 5 at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, so we're keeping our fingers crossed."

Pubs in London, Birmingham, North Yorkshire and Manchester have also made the shortlist.

In 2015, Chaplin's claimed the title of 'community pub of the year' in the awards, beating five other venues to the accolade.

And the year before that, the venue was named winner of the 'best community pub' and 'best entertainment pub' in the south west.

This year, there were 1,300 entries across 16 different categories.

Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, said: "The pub sector is thriving and that success is being driven by superb operators, and none more so than our finalists in this competition.

"hey’ve been narrowed down from a highly competitive field, and my commiserations to those that didn’t get through – it was a tough challenge judging these categories so far.

“Our finalists here represent the best in the industry and I’d like to wish them all the best of the luck in the competition going forward.

"To be a finalist in this tough competition is a superb achievement and it’s going to be a real honour to reveal our ultimate winners.”

The Great British Pub Awards celebrate excellence throughout the UK’s pub trade, with hundreds of entries received from across the country, and judged by a team of industry experts.