A public vote has come up with new names for two Suffolk pubs after owner Greene King decided to scrap the old ones which had racist connotations.

The Bury St Edmunds-based pubs giant held a public vote to rename the town's Black Boy pub and another of the same name in Sudbury.

The new names chosen are The West Gate for the Bury pub and The Lady Elizabeth for the Sudbury one.

A total of 3,540 votes were cast in the Bury St Edmunds pub vote from a shortlist of possible names.

The West Gate was the clear winner with 2,580 votes (73%). It was followed by the The Thomas Clarkson - a slavery abolitionist based in the town - with 642 votes (18%), The Abbot with 171 votes (5%) and The Saint Edmund with 147 votes (4%).

In the Sudbury vote, 760 votes were cast, with 43% or 324 backing The Lady Elizabeth. The Market Inn was a close second with 297 votes (39%) and The Coach & Horses came third, with 139 votes (18%).

The Bury pub lies close to where the town’s old West Gate once stood and towards the rear of the pub are remnants of the old town wall that used to join up to the West Gate.

The 14th century Lady Elizabeth de Burgh invested in creating the Market Hill in Sudbury, where the pub and hotel sits today.

Community groups were consulted to help arrive at a shortlist of options with votes closing on Wednesday, February 10. Two other Greene King pubs in other parts of the country were also renamed.

The Black Boy, in Shinfield, becomes The Shinfield Arms and The Blacks Head, in Wirksworth, will be renamed The Quarryman.

Greene King Pub Partners managing director Wayne Shurvinton said: “We’d like to thank the more than 7,000 people who have taken part in these votes and who contributed to our community consultations to help find new names for these four pubs.

“Despite the obscure origins of the pubs’ previous names, from the research we carried out it was clear that there was a perception today that the old names were linked with racism, which is why we knew we had to take this step if we wanted to continue on our journey to become a truly anti-racist organisation.

“Once we took the decision to change the names, we wanted to involve local people in choosing new and inclusive names for these pubs, so they remain at the heart of their communities.

"We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who voted and helped us choose new names that continue to reflect the history and heritage of each pub but also ensure that they are places where everyone can feel welcome.”

The pubs giant said changing the signs was likely to take a few months because of the planning permissions required.

The renaming forms part of the group's inclusion and diversity strategy to champion equality and diversity within the company and further support people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Last October saw the launch of a year-long partnership between Greene King and the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool to raise awareness and educate about the historic transatlantic slave trade.

The pubs group has apologised for its founder Benjamin Greene's links to slavery.