A POPULAR country pub between Worcester and Malvern has been pulling in the customers with a ground-breaking initiative to get reliable mobile phone signals in rural communities.

The Bear and Ragged Staff in Bransford has been taking part in a trial of Vodafone's Community Indoor Sure Signal programme, which involved installing a signal booster in the pub, to give customers an enhanced 3G signal to their phones or other mobile devices.

The trial has been deemed a success, and the booster has now been installed permanently at the pub.

Pub owner Lynda Williams said: “We are absolutely delighted with our Vodafone unit, which is providing our business with excellent mobile coverage. Being located in a rural area, this is something we’ve struggled with, but Vodafone has provided us with a real solution. It was extremely easy to install and within minutes we were connected to the world.”

The technology will get a special test next weekend when hundreds of people are expected to drop in at the pub for the BearFest music festival, raising money for the Midlands Air Ambulance.

The system has also been praised by MP Harriett Baldwin who paid a visit to the pub to find out more.

She said: "Good internet and phone connections are vital for a popular pub like the Bear and Ragged Staff and this project seems very popular both for the business itself but also regular and new customers.

“More and more people want to stay in touch wherever they are, so I welcome these projects which help to get decent signals into areas that have lost out in the past.

“The technology will face a great test when hundreds of people turn up for the BearFest music event next week and I look forward to seeing tweets, videos and pictures online showing people having a great time in Bransford.

“I encourage other local communities to consider setting up a digital hub like this one to get more people online whilst out and about.”