FOREIGN Secretary Boris Johnson turned his attention to matters closer to home, with visits to businesses in Hillingdon and Uxbridge.

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was able to enjoy a pint and see the improvements at The Swallow pub in Long Lane, near Hillingdon station, following a £229,000 investment from pub company Punch.

Mr Johnson said: “Pubs are part of the fabric that holds local communities together and I’m delighted to see such a significant investment to help secure the future of The Swallow. I wish Andy Kehoe and all of his team every success for the future.”

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The Swallow has been redecorated throughout, with new flooring, bar fittings and improvements to the toilets. Outside, there is smart new signage and the front patio area has been upgraded with new furniture. Fifteen jobs were also created as part of the makeover.

Andy Kehoe, who has run The Swallow with the help of his daughters, Sinead and Lisa, since November last year, said customers had been impressed with the pub’s new look..

He said: “We’ve had a really positive response from customers since we re-opened last month. Being so close to Hillingdon station, we are always busy and it’s great that we can now offer food as well.”

BARCLAYS Bank in Uxbridge held a safety awareness event where customers were able to learn how to protect themselves from fraud and to staysafe online.

It was part of a digital safety drive by Barclays to encourage people to consider their own vulnerability and improve their fraud awareness.

Harjit Bagga, the Uxbridge manager, said: “Helping customers and local residents get online is something we’re really keen to support through our Digital Eagles. However, we also want to make sure they do this safely.

Boris Johnson, who attended, added: “It’s great to see at first-hand the excellent work the team is doing.”