LANDLADY Alison Crosby is trying to prove she's the better half by pulling more pints at her North Yorkshire pub than her partner does at his.

The 36-year-old licensee has started a bitter rivalry after taking on her own pub just up the road from Victor Lusher - the father of her four children.

Alison decided to show Victor, 37, that anything he could do she could do better after he took on the Little Wonder pub in Harrogate.

She applied for the licence at the Honest Lawyer a mile away and the spa town has become the unlikely setting for a tit-for-tat pub war.

Battle commences after Alison leaves the living quarters above the Little Wonder where she, Victor and their children live.

"For a start Victor has an advantage because I get the children ready and off to school then come back and tidy up," said Alison.

"So by the time I get to my pub I've already been hard at work whereas Victor is just coming round. But as soon as the bell goes for the first pint the gloves are off."

The series of dirty tricks between the two has included:

Victor booking a band for his pub when they had arrived to speak to Alison about appearing at her place;

Alison poaching members of Victor's pool team to play for her pub;

Victor installing a wide screen TV to steal football fans away from Alison's pub;

Alison persuading one of Victor's football teams to be based at her pub;

Alison's pub has booked live bands for decades - now Victor's pub is having live music for the first time in years.

Victor boasted: "Nicking that band was the best stunt I have pulled yet. Their promoter walked into Alison's pub and I just happened to be there at the time.

"So I took him to one side and booked the band for the Little Wonder. Alison was livid."

But Alison hit back by booking the SAME band for a date four days before they were due to play at Victor's pub.

"That wiped the smile off his face," she said.

The one-upmanship between the licensees has got drinkers involved.

"I have my spies who stop off in Victor's for a pint come into my pub and tell me what he's up to," smiled Alison.

"They love it and it makes for a real talking point in the pub. It's amazing how much people really get into the spirit of the competition between us."

PICTURE: BAR WARS: Alison Crosby and her partner Victor Lusher fight out a "bitter" pub feud in Harrogate