DETECTIVES are to fly out to Canada to arrest a man in connection with a £30,000 theft from a former York fun pub, it was revealed today.

Officers will travel to Calgary to serve an extradition warrant on the suspect, who is being currently being detained.

The cash is alleged to have been stolen from Brubakers, in Blossom Street, in August, 1999.

York area commander Chief Superintendent John Lacy confirmed detectives would be travelling to Canada over the theft.

He said today: "Police in York have been liaising closely with officers in Canada over the matter."

A spokesman for former owners, Greenalls Inns pub group, now called Devere, reacted with pleasure to news of the development.

The spokesman said today: "We haven't been notified by the police ourselves as yet.

"Although we no longer own the premises, we're obviously pleased that the alleged perpetrator of the theft may now be brought to justice."

Brubakers shut down in January, 2001, to be replaced by the £2.5 million 88-bedroom budget hotel, York Premier Lodge.

Its closure was blamed by licensing officers on drinkers drifting away from the "Micklegate Run" and heading to fashionable caf bars which had sprung up in the city centre.

The bar, where revellers convened for karaoke, bottled beers and loud music, was opened in 1994 by former Word presenter Terry Christian.

The former Forsselius Garage site was one of York's worst eyesores during the 1980s before its renovation.

Greenalls spent £1.4 million on its transformation, creating an unusual mix of 1930s American art deco fittings and 1990s video and lighting technology.

This is the second extradition warrant to be issued by magistrates in North Yorkshire in less than a month.

The Evening Press reported last week how Charles Forsyth, the director of a collapsed Boroughbridge computer company, Personal Computer Science Limited, had been arrested in Australia over the alleged fraud of more than £1 million.

The Serious Fraud Office was seeking his extradition back to the UK.

matthew.woodcock@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 12:04 Monday, November 11, 2002