A CELEBRATION and relaunch party will be held at a community pub in York tonight as it marks ten years as a freehouse.

Local businessmen Paul Crossman and Jon Farrow saved The Slip Inn, in Clementhorpe, from potential closure when it was put up for sale in 2008, and they took over the actual running of the pub ten years ago this week.

In the past decade, they have added one new back room, extended another, built a new outside bar, redeveloped the upstairs flat, redesigned the main bar area, refitted the toilets, built a two-storey side extension including a new beer cellar and, most recently, turned the old cellar into a snug, said a spokesman.

Locals and regulars will gather tonight to celebrate its ten years in independent hands and see the final elements of the redesign, with live music and a ‘greatest hits’ beer range of ales that had been popular over the past ten years.

Mr Crossman said it was a chance to say thanks to everyone and celebrate the pub's revival.

Mr Farrow sadly died suddenly in 2017, and is much-loved and missed in the pub and community, said the spokesman.

He said his role as manager was now filled by his and Paul's good friend Ian Warner.