ONE of North East Lincolnshire's longest serving licensees has become the area's newest free trader.

Derrick Howard, 45, is now the owner of The Barge, at Grimsby's Riverhead.

He has been the licensee there since December 1992, and recently acquired it from brewery Punch Taverns.

Mr Howard, a "born and bred Meggie" will oversee a £60,000 refurbishment of the pub, including the re-introduction of a food menu.

He says he had grown tired of a lack of change to the premises since Punch Taverns replaced previous landlords Pubmaster in 2002.

He said: "To be honest it has been difficult being a tenant under Punch Taverns because they didn't spend any money on it.

"Punch Taverns put us under a black cloud, and when they told me they were putting it up for sale at the beginning of this year I made an offer.

"It has been a freehouse for a month or so now, and we have started the refurbishment."

New flooring and a new plumbing system has been installed in the toilets and a re-fit of the bar will take place by the end of February.

Food will be re-introduced following the refurbishment.

Mr Howard said: "We have spent an absolute fortune on the toilets because they were in a bit of a mess.

"The food menu was stopped here about nine years ago, because it fell out of favour.

"When it is back it will be chef driven, home-made food, not things you heat up in a microwave."

Read more in today's Grimsby Telegraph.