After eight years serving the public as a county councillor Alec Robertson is now back behind a bar serving pub customers. A publican before he entered politics, Mr Robertson has made a return to the trade by taking over the Black Swan at Gweek.

Despite previously vowing not to return to the same industry, he realised taking over the pub was an opportunity too good to miss.

Mr Robertson said: “It’s a business truism that you do what you know. When we came and had a look at the Black Swan we just fell in love with it.

“What really satisfies me in my working life is not just running a business successfully but seeing one that isn’t operating at its full potential and seeing how I can make it better.

“It was really the potential I saw in the Black Swan that excited me.”

Mr Robertson was landlord of the Queen’s Arms at Breage for 12 years, before running the Godolphin Club in Helston at the same time as he was a Cornwall councillor representing Breage and Crowan.

He gave up the Godolphin Club when the council became a unitary authority and he was elected to represent Helston’s north division, and subsequently made leader.

He served for three-and-a-half years until he was ousted in October 2012.

Mr Robertson, pictured, believes his time on the council has made him appreciate being his own boss. He told the Packet: “I’m enjoying it more and finding it more relaxing after my time on the council.

“During my absence from the trade things have changed – it’s a different enough challenge now.”

He added that he enjoyed making his own decisions and implementing them straight away, rather than have to argue an issue through a committee.