A brewing family which formed part of a town's history is back in business again after a year's absence.

Bill King, managing director of the former King and Barnes in Horsham, has launched his own micro brewery with wife Kathy called WJ King and Co Brewers.

The new brewery is on the Jubilee Estate, Foundry Lane, Horsham, and has the capacity to make 20 barrels - or 5,760 pints - of beer a week.

Mr King is the fifth generation of the brewing family which had run King and Barnes in the town for 200 years.

The business was taken over last year by Dorset brewers Hall and Woodhouse, which kept the pubs but closed the old brewery in Bishopric.

Mr King said: "Obviously it was a very sad time for me because the brewery had been in the family for five generations.

"The problem with businesses these days is that you get to a certain size and shareholders want out and there is nothing you can do about it. It was very sad but you can't look back."

Initially Mr King is producing a cask beer called Horsham Best Bitter and a premium cask beer called Red River.

He said: "We have produced beers appropriate for local tastes. People here like hoppy, bitter flavoured beers, which is what we have produced."

Together with his workforce of six Mr King intends his beers to be sold in local free houses, clubs and off-licences and he will also be running a home delivery service.