A property magnate bowed to pressure from a campaigning community by spending £70,000 to reopen a shutdown pub in Summerseat.

And residents have repaid the move by businessman Mr Owais Khan by flocking to the busy pub and restaurant since it opened its doors again several weeks ago.

Before then, the Waterside in Kay Street had been closed for four years when a previous leasing arrangement ceased.

The shutting of the pub was deemed a big loss to the community, but a subsequent campaign via email, telephone and online calling for the Waterside’s owner to bring the venue back into use, proved successful.

And now, he has even left his London base to help run the business which employs a 23-strong staff.

Mr Khan, 48, who runs property company Kingsley Estates, explained: “I’ve owned the building since 2002 and leased it up until 2006 when it closed. I’m not in the business of running such a place myself. We did have a lot of inquiries from people who wanted to buy it or lease it. But I felt there wasn’t anyone suitable in whose hands I wanted to leave the Waterside.

“Because of my work in London and the large portfolio of other properties, the Summerseat building became neglected. But I kept on getting a lot of emails and phone calls from locals, asking me to reopen it because there wasn’t another venue like it in the area.

“There was also an internet petition. So, I eventually said to myself, OK, why not? I sent up a couple of my men to reopen the Waterside.

“I’ve probably spent £70,000. Since the Waterside closed, many new laws came in which meant spending money to bring the property up to standard to comply with them. We’ve had to do a lot of work.”

The venue offers a function room catering for up to 200 guests, and also a conference room. Mr Khan said: “Since re-opening, it’s exceeded all our expectations and we’re getting a lot of bookings.”