Landmark Smethwick pub The Park Hotel has been sold and is set for a half-a-million pound makeover.

The imposing pub on the traffic island in the High Street has been empty for almost a year.

But it will now become a high end bar and grill.

Builders moved in last week and have ripped out the existing furniture and decor.

It is hoped the revamped venue will open in six weeks time.

The new manager Roy Chopra said: “We want it to be high end and offer something really special.

“Because of the area we are in we will be giving the bar an Indian theme, it will be a barbecue grill and curries on the menu.” He added: “The old pub was a disaster.

“It was a total mess inside and we have a really big job to do.

“By all accounts it started to become a bit of a drugs den before it closed down.

“We want to make sure people living around here have somewhere really special to go.”

The name is also set to change in the overhaul, but it is still being finalised.

The Victorian pub was put on the market by Admiral Taverns for £274,000 last year, but the price was later dropped to £250,000 because of a lack of interest.

The new owners will not reveal how much they eventually paid for it, but said any savings that they made are being reinvested back into the property.

Mr Chopra added: “We will also be doing some work on the outside of the building, it will all be done sympathetically.

“It is a great looking building, we realise that.

“We are really excited about this challenge and we need the support of local people to make it work, it is a big challenge opening a business in this economy.”