A NEW "micropub" is on the cards for a York street, as two brothers launch a dramatic career change in the city.

Adam and Matt Spokes plan to transform an empty shop on Gillygate into a small, family-run pub.

The pair have submitted a planning application for the former Shine gift shop, and are starting the long process of getting the right permissions to convert the unit and begin selling alcohol.

They say would steer clear of high volume drinking, in favour of good quality beers.

The Victorian building is owned by York Conservation Trust, and Adam said the landlords had supported their idea of a new family business on the site.

Adam, 29, said: "The idea follows on from the micropub concept established down in Kent. We like the idea of a small family-run business focussing on great beer rather than the emphasis being on getting drunk as quickly as possible.

"My brother has lived in York for a long time, and I was a Masters student in the city, but it is a shift in career for both of us."

The plan is that Adam will leave his job in rehabilitation in Luton and move to York to run the pub, with academic Matt, 32, possibly joining the business later.

Adam added: "We are looking to open in around May, but between now and then there is still a lot left to do with planning permission and the licence."

The pair started dreaming of running their own pub several years ago but did not start investigating it seriously until 2015.

They chose York, rather than the family's home town of Luton or its surrounds, partly because of the city's strong beer and pub scene.

"When we started planning this we weren't sure whether we would do this in the north or the south of the country. But once we started discussing where we would both like to be I realised there are few places I have ever lived that I would be prefer to live in than York."

The pair hope to serve a variety of local beers, and are talking to US distributors about bringing in some less well-known American craft beers.