DRINKERS in Malton have been puzzled by a number of signs saying a popular pub is closed at unusual times.

But landlady Sharron Appleby, of The Clarence, says it is all a big joke that has been taken the wrong way.

Thirsty visitors to the Wheelgate pub were greeted by a blackboard sign which said: "Reopening in an hour - out on lash" and on a separate day "Shut for ten minutes - out on pull".

Geordie Sharron said she was amazed how quickly word got round the town.

"I could not believe that people in the Hyde Park pub at the far end of Norton knew so quickly.

"It was all just harmless fun - I was upstairs having something to eat," she said.

Sharron says that another sign: "Closed - checking out the competition" was her last gag.

She has now pledged to keep the pub open all day, every day, in the run-up to Christmas.

And she is planning a special "Weakest Link" game show for Boxing Day to help visitors recover from family festivities.

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, October 31, 2001