PUBS have been through a nightmare time during the coronavirus lockdown.

With the public shut out for the past three months and more, landlords have had to find other ways to pay the bills and keep their businesses ticking over until they could open the doors once again.

Some tried takeaway services, some got involved in making sure vulnerable families were fed and some took on other jobs to keep themselves afloat.

Then when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced they would be able to open their doors to customers again on July 4, they found themselves with a mountain of Covid paperwork, social distancing rules and expensive physical changes to make to their pubs before they could do it.

Pubs were already facing challenging times even before the pandemic came along and the coming months are likely to be even trickier. The trend for drinking at home was already established and under lockdown it has flourished. Some pubs might not survive.

Which is why, as part of our campaign to back local businesses and our commitment to community news, we’re giving readers the chance to nominate their favourite watering holes in our new Pub of the Week feature.

We want you to help us highlight the best hostelries in the Swindon area. Tell us what makes them your local and why you would recommend them to other people, whether it’s fantastic staff, great facilities, wonderful food or well kept ales.

Pubs are often seen as the hubs of the communities around them. Does your favourite get involved in local events? Does it stage fund raisers for good causes?

All you have to do to nominate your local as Pub of the Week is to fill in our easy online form here and submit a picture.