Bradford Council has accepted an offer for one of Britain's best known pubs.

Director of asset management Linda Carmichael confirmed today an offer had been accepted for Emmerdale local the Woolpack at Esholt, and it was now going through the legal processes.

But she said it would not be good practice to reveal the name of the buyer of the amount or the offer before the sale had been finalised.

But the Telegraph & Argus understands the offer was close to the £385,000 offered by two rival bidders at the auction where it had an initial guide price of £450,000.

The famous soap alehouse is the only pub owned by Bradford Council.

The council plans to bring in a private partner to run and manage many of its buildings.

A number - including the Woolpack - have been put on the market separately with the proceeds going into the Council's coffers, however.

The Council receives £25,000 as year rent for the pub it bought for a "modest sum" at the turn of the last century when it was thought the land may be needed for a sewage scheme.

The Woolpack attracts thousand of Emmerdale fans to the Esholt tourist village near Shipley - even though the pub scenes are now done at specially created studios at Harewood near Leeds.

Deputy Council leader Councillor Simon Cooke said: "The Council is not in the business of running pubs.

"The best option was to sell it and it will bring a capital receipt to the Council."

Meanwhile, receivers who have put two privately-owned tourist hotels on the market say they have received at least 12 inquiries about them.

The Three Sisters near Haworth and The Five Flags at Cullingworth have been placed into receivership because of cash-flow problems.

The hotels, owned by Joe and Mandy Bardgett, are operating normally and on the market as going concerns.

A spokesman from the receivers, Leeds- based Kroll, said: "Whilst it is still at its early stages, we have received more than a dozen expressions of interest.

"However, we are still interested in hearing from other parties."