TUCK in your napkin, lift your trusty fork and tackle a nice helping of snig pie. For snig (real name eel) was a favourite dish at waterside pubs as close as Widnes.

Which is perhaps a little clue as to how the long-gone Snigs Foot pub at Sutton came by its strange name. Though where the 'foot' came in remains a puzzle.

Chris Coffey of Sutton Historic Society, and Walter Caine (who, rather mysteriously, describes himself as being an ex-water closet mechanic) come in with the goods.

Walter has forwarded a list of long-lost local watering holes, which shows the Snigs Foot as having closed in 1915.

There were once four local breweries (Greenalls, Wilcox Phoenix and Crosses of Sutton, and Tickles of Thatto Heath) and in the 1880s there were about 145 pubs in the borough.

Here's something local-ish about snigs, forwarded by Chris: "I have walked from Sutton to the banks of the Mersey in a little less than two hours, so maybe a link lies that way."

Before the Mersey became polluted it was an important source of food, providing salmon, oysters, shrimps and, of course, eels - known locally as snigs. Snig pie was a favourite at waterside pubs, one of which, in West Bank, is still known as The Snig

Snig Pie House (correct name the Boathouse Inn) was once busy in the area to serve Mersey ferry travellers. It was noted for its speciality delicacy, eel pies!

nGREAT stuff! But we wait still for a positive clue or two about the Snigs Foot, which 'sank' during the First World War.