30714-1A SWINDON bar is working its way back to business as usual. The Pattern Store, near the Designer Outlet Village, has had to close its top floor bar and restaurant to clear soot after a small fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday.

But the lower bar is open as normal and a scheduled national karaoke final, organised by owner Mill House Inns, will be held as normal on Friday.

Staff member Steve Ballard said: "It's business as usual downstairs, and the upstairs area will be open again tomorrow.

"In the early hours of Sunday morning our landlady, Gilly Redfern, got a telephone call from the emergency services, telling her to come to the pub.

"When she arrived, there were the fire engines here."

Mr Ballard said a small fire had broken out in an upstairs back room which houses a bottle washing machine but he did not know what had caused it.

He added: "There is a lot of soot in the restaurant area and the upstairs bar area

"But we are cleaning it all up and we anticipate being fully open again by tomorrow morning.

"But it's still business as usual for us on the ground floor and, thankfully, there is no other damage to the pub."

Tomorrow's national karaoke competition, which is called National Stars On Stage, will begin at 8.30pm.