THE new owners of a troubled Worcester pub are confident of turning its fortunes around.

Woobar, in St Nicholas Street, has been bought off Punch Taverns by Black Country Ales.

The boozer has been closed since January after previous landlord Matt Harris called time on his tenure, stating it "wasn't a viable project".

He and predecessor Zoe Hannay struggled with the pub's reputation after its days trading as The Metro.

But the latest move should excite real ale fans across the city, who can look forward to supping a selection of the beers at the pub, according to director Angus McMeeking.

He said: "Punch Taverns decided to sell it and Worcester is a place where we've been trying to find a site for several years now.

"We like the city and think it's well suited for a real ale pub.

"We're delighted to have picked up this place and are hoping to make a good job of it.

"Worcester is a classy city and has a large, vibrant population which is what we need."

Builders and decorators will be giving the pub a facelift for the next six to seven weeks and Mr McMeeking said he hopes it will open in August.

Black Country Ales plan to rebrand the pub The Imperial Tavern and feature real ales brewed in their own micro-brewery plus an ever-changing selection of guest beers.

The business was started in 1999 by Mr McMeeking, and owns pubs across the Black Country, with some in Birmingham and others as far away as Leicester.

A surge in popularity for real ales has helped the company expand, to the point it now has around 20 pubs under its umbrella.

"Real ale was always previously the preserve of slightly more mature guys, but just lately we've found a lot of ladies trying real ales out and younger people giving it a go," Mr McMeeking said.

"That's very good for us as a business but also nice that it seems there's an ever growing list of real ale drinkers.

"We're hoping to keep some of them happy.

"We're very much a traditional pub company and that's why we're trying to bring this pub's traditions back."

The firm is still looking for a landlord to run the pub on their behalf, and Mr McMeeking said anyone interested should call 01384 480156 or visit blackcountryales.co.uk for more information.