LOCALS have been using a 'new' waterfront beer garden table which was washed out during the floods - from a pub 50 miles away.

The bench was originally located outside Ye Olde Ferrie Inn, a popular drinking house on the banks of the River Wye in Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, since 1473.

But the continuous deluges three weeks ago washed it, and nine others, away from the historical drinking establishment and sent in off floating down into the River Severn.

Amazingly, the table floated all the way to Portishead in North Somerset - winding its way across the notoriously tidal estuary before landing - upright - on the coastal path.

Pub manager Jamie Hicks said: "We thought we would never see the benches again.

"The weird thing was that a friend of mine who got married in the pub in 2016 lives in Portishead and spotted the bench on the 'Turn the Tide Portishead' social media page and then messaged me."

Turn the Tide Portishead had posted about the bench on Facebook, searching for its owner.

Jamie was then pointed in their direction and the connection was made - although the items are being kept in Portishead for the time being.

A post online by the pub said: "After the floods some of our benches ended up going down the river...today we found some of them washed up in Portishead.

"That's an unbelievable distance to travel down stream and across the Severn Estuary!"

Several commenters praised the feel-good tale.

One said: "Awesome find!"

Another added: "Wow...what a story."