WHEN Paul and Cheryl Harris took over their new pub in west York, they were forced to bar 60 per cent of its clientele because of all the trouble.

But now, only three years later, they have transformed the fortunes of The Acomb Pub, in Kingsway West, and are now the outright owners after stumping up £510,000.

Paul, 38, a father-of-five, who grew up in the area, said taking over the premises put them in charge of their own destiny.

"A lot of people stayed out of the pub because of its past reputation and we've worked hard to get them coming back in the last three years," he said.

"I want the pub to be a focal point for the whole community because it's such a landmark. I think it's one of the safest pubs in Acomb now, we simply won't tolerate any trouble whatsoever."

When Paul and Cheryl took over they said begging was commonplace in the car park and found evidence of heroin use in the toilets.

They spent £1,500 installing CCTV cameras throughout the pub to deter troublemakers and now support a number of sports teams, including York City Ladies FC.

"It has taken a lot of hard work and we've made a huge financial commitment, but I'm sure it will be worth it," Paul said.

"Size-wise it's the biggest pub in Acomb, but we also think it can be in terms of numbers of customers. We've got nice people coming in now who tell us that it has changed so much."

The couple now plan to invest another £300,000 to refurbish the pub further and introduce bar meals.

Improvements will include a new fenced-off beer garden at the rear of the premises and a major terraced section on the flat roof area.

Paul said they also planned to introduce real ales from York Brewery. In an outward sign of its rebirth, the Acomb pub's clock tower was restored to its former glory after decades out of use.

The clock was originally installed shortly after the Second World War in 1948, but was never fixed after a brewery handover in the late- 1970s.

Paul had the clock restored during the pub's refurbishment at a cost of nearly £19,000.