A Belper bar which was closed by police last year is set to re-open its doors this week with a new owner, new name and new image.
Hackett's Bar, on King Street, is to open in the former premises of Harvey's Bar this Friday, November 21, following an extensive £150,000 refurbishment and input from the police, and Amber Valley Borough Council.
The bar was bought earlier this y
ear by Ray Hackett and business partner Patrick O'Donnell, who decided to overhaul the interior and re-open the venue.
Ray, who has been in the pub trade for 20 years, said: "There was a lot of bad news about this place, which I thought was just a case of bad management so I thought I'd give it a whirl. We'll have a strict door policy, no sportswear, no headgear, and if you're drunk you can't come in.
"We have a zero tolerance attitude to the issues which were here before and anything like that. We are really going to make sure it is a safe and friendly environment.
"We just want to make it a nice, fun place and by putting standards on the door and sticking to them it will get the message across."
The bar has been completely gutted and refurbished to bring it up to standard. Ray said he believed if it was nice inside it would encourage people to behave appropriately. Strict conditions regarding internal improvements and security have been imposed at the venue by police, who have said they will do everything possible to prevent history repeating itself at the bar.
Sgt Lee Smith, of Belper Police, said: "Providing they meet all the conditions we will have no objections, it's a bit of a case of wait and see, but they have been quite cooperative so far.
"At this time we have no concerns about it's previous reputation.
"All the blindspots that were there before which led to the problems have been removed, there is extensive CCTV coverage and appropriately trained door staff.
"Obviously it will be one of the areas we will be monitoring from the word go," added the Belper officer.
Harvey's Bar closed in November 2007 after it was deemed a threat to public safety.
The bar's license to sell alcohol and provide entertainment was removed just days later after a damning report by Amber Valley Borough Council uncovered dozens of faults.
Among those listed were broken tables and chairs, the men's toilets being tested positive for drug use, and a large amount of flammable waste in the designated smoking area, as well as a reputation for violence.
After months of problems the police finally forced the bar to close following a serious assault in which a man was cut on his arm and elbow.
