A LITTLE bit of Nottingham is nestling in the cosmopolitan French city of Montpellier, all thanks to a local company.

The new Robin Hood pub, which is more "ey up mi duck" than "ooh la la", was designed by Epperstone-based Mark Pearce Contract Interiors (MPCI) and the fittings were made by Carlton company Middlebeck Interiors.

Mr Pearce, 57, of Woodborough, has been creating theme pubs in the UK and abroad for more than 30 years.

Having previously crafted a Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens pub, he was eager to design one for the local legend.

He said: "I'd often joked that, 'isn't it about time we created a pub based on Robin Hood'. Charles Wells pub company called me and said, 'You are the one to do this'."

Apparently our French friends love traditional British boozers.

Mark said: "They are certainly rising in popularity, especially in areas where there is a high student population. They have the opportunity to go out and socialise with friends and practice their English, as a great deal of the signs are in English."

Indeed, the French might be confused by phrases seen in the pub, such as "wet your whistle" and "we feast on good cheer with good food and beer" – a passage taken from an early Robin Hood novel.

More than 25 people from Notts worked on the pub.