Abingdon's much-troubled pub, the Beehive, is back in business after being closed for a month.

The pub in Stert Street, owned by Greene King, is now in the tenancy of small Reading-based pub group Gold Cater, which has been granted an occasional licence until May 2.

The manager, Andrew Riley, will run the pub with his partner, Sue Groombridge. The interior has already been re-decorated and after the Easter holiday the exterior will be painted.

Mr Riley said: "We are looking forward to the challenge of bringing this pub up to scratch. It has had a bad reputation but we intend to make it a friendly pub for all. The Beehive is in a central location and I believe it has a lot of potential."

The Beehive closed after Wantage licensing justices decided that a previous applicant for the licence was not a "fit and proper" person to run it. It now plans to join the Abingdon Pub Watch scheme which bans people involved in trouble from licensed premises. The Beehive is the only pub in the town not a member of the scheme but the new tenants are keen to join.