A 39-YEAR-OLD Bournemouth man has been charged with the murder of a pub landlord.

Garry Stephen Varley, of St John's Road, Bournemouth, appeared before town magistrates on Saturday morning accused of murdering Steven John Galsworthy, the manager of the Lion's Head, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth. He was remanded in custody.

Mr Galsworthy, 41, died on Thursday as a result of stab wounds after an incident at the Lion's Head on Wednesday night.

Varley, who was kept in police custody overnight on Friday, has also been charged with assaulting Mr Galsworthy on February 28 2007.

Detective Chief Inspector John Crossland, head of Dorset Police's Major Crime Investigation Team, said: "My sympathies, and those of the enquiry team, are with Mr Galsworthy's loved ones, family and many friends."

Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in for the popular landlord. Friends, colleagues and customers described Steve Galsworthy's fun-loving nature and commitment to his job.

The Lion's Head pub in Holdenhurst Road remained closed to the public yesterday.

A police officer at the door was surrounded by floral tributes placed there in Mr Galsworthy's memory by family and friends.

The Daily Echo website has been flooded with tributes to Mr Galsworthy.

One came from "Jopi" in Paignton in Devon who said: "You were my step-dad for four years. You wiped my tears when I was sad - I am going to miss you so much."

Sara from Springbourne said: "Why do things like this happen to such good people? It is all so unfair."

And Francoise Heron-Lees added: "He did not deserve this - nobody does."

Steve Hudson, the former boss of Elements nightclub in Bournemouth, told how he worked closely with Mr Galsworthy on the Town Watch group in a bid to make Bournemouth a safer place.

He said: "He had a passion to make things better. Even though his pub was not right in the centre of Bournemouth he got involved in every initiative to make the town safe."