AN EMPTY Oxford pub that locals feared could be demolished is to be refurbished and reop-ened.

The landlords of The Rusty Bicycle, in Magdalen Road, will take over the running of The Radcliffe Arms, in Cranham Street, Jericho, in April after a complete refurbishment and change of name.

The pub, nicknamed ‘the Raddy’, which dates back to the 1860s, has lain empty since June last year, when an attempt to run it as a Thai pub-restaurant failed.

Now family-run Arkell’s brewery has bought the property from Heineken UK and, after six to eight weeks of work, will re-open it in early April.

The pub will be run by Chris Manners, 25, and Leo Johnson, 24, who re-opened The Eagle as the The Rusty Bicycle in 2009, turning it into one of the Swindon brewery’s best performers.

Mr Manners, who has moved into the pub, said: “It is going to get a full facelift, walls will be coming down and there will be a new table layout.

“‘Modernised’ is the wrong word, because it is not going to be turned into a bar, but it will be brought up to date with some rustic charm.

“There will be lots of real ale, and I have a friend coming down from London to become the chef. It will have a very informal feel.”

Mr Manners said he had not yet decided on the pub’s new name.

Brewery director George Arkell said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to buy and re-open this pub.”

He said the pub had suffered an “unhappy history” since being sold by Oxford City Council in 2009.

He said: “We want to repeat what we have done at the Rusty Bicycle and invest money and tender, loving care in the building before re-opening to sell well-kept real ale and good food.

“Chris and Leo are the perfect men for the job.

“When we re-open the pub, we hope that local people will come in, enjoy themselves and put their pub back at the heart of the community.”

Former local Dr Nigel Hiscock, 70, of Great Clarendon Street, said regulars had feared the pub had been lost for good and would be demolished or converted into a house.

He said: “This is terrific news. Since it closed, it has been pretty desperate.

“The locals have been dispersed to other pubs.

“A lot of us are wandering around drinking where we can, feeling like refugees.”

He said former locals wanted good beer, low prices, and the screening of live football matches.