A BID to turn a notorious former pub, which police battled to keep closed, into flats has been ‘withdrawn’.

East Lothian Council’s planning boss has written to the owners of the former Elphinstone Arms telling them he has “assumed that the application is withdrawn” after they failed to respond to letters requesting an update.

A planning application to turn the ex-pub, which was ravaged by fire five years ago, into three houses was lodged with the local authority in 2016.

But there has been no communication since then.

The pub made headlines in February 2014 when the landlady had to lock customers inside after a gang of up to 20 men wearing balaclavas and armed with baseball bats reportedly tried to storm it.

During a police investigation following the incident it was revealed that the pub’s licence to sell alcohol was out of date and it was ordered to close.

Police in East Lothian opposed attempts to reopen the pub on the grounds of public safety but they were overruled by licensing chiefs in April that year after local residents pleaded for a return of the venue.

Within a few weeks of reopening, the pub was targeted twice by fire-raisers and police successfully lobbied East Lothian Licensing Board to close it again.

The second fire caused devastating internal damage to the pub which has never reopened and has been put up for sale.

A police investigation into the wilful fire-raising has concluded.