A PUB which closed its doors after police were called to an incident earlier this year will re-open under new management at the start of next year.

Officers were called to the Masons Arms on Belhaven High Street at 6.50am on March 31 following an undisclosed incident.

Details of what happened have not been released publicly, although the Courier understands that it followed a private function on the premises the previous evening.

In April, Police Scotland asked East Lothian Council’s licensing board to review the pub’s licence and that of its manager Christopher Darling.

However, at a meeting last week, the board was told that Mr Darling had parted company with the pub owners and the premises was currently closed.

James Hughes, who currently runs Dunbar Golf Club, asked the board to consider transferring the licence to him as he revealed ambitious plans to invest £50,000 in the business with a view to eventually taking ownership of the property.

Mr Hughes told the board that he was preparing to sign a five-year-lease of the pub with its current owner in a deal which would allow him to buy it at the end of the lease.

He said that there were plans to renovate the building to open it up more and make it a family-friendly site.

Mr Hughes told the meeting: “We plan to make it a good country food and beer premises.

“It is in an area steeped in history with [Belhaven] Brewery and a popular tourism area, and we want to turn it into a good welcoming family pub.”

Mr Hughes, who has been at Dunbar Golf Club for several years, told the board he had more than 23 years of experience in the licensed trade and had worked in Edinburgh before moving to East Lothian.

He said that if given approval to go ahead the pub could re-open early next year.

The board agreed to transfer the licence to Mr Hughes, wishing him luck with the venture.