Morecambe bar for sale

A bar in Morecambe that had previously been run as a pole dancing establishment, is being put up for sale.

The Office bar on Marine Road Central closed down in 2007 due to a lack of business. Following its closure, the owners had planned to covert the six-floor 13,750 sq ft premises into an Eric Morecambe-themed pub and museum. Negotiations were ongoing with the comedian's family, but these plans came up against problems when the recession hit and have remained shelved since then.

Now, the pub is on the market and Jonathan Barker of Mitchell's Brewery noted that there is some interest in the property. “We've had three or four viewings over the last month, which is encouraging,” remarked Mr Barker, managing director of the Lancaster brewery.

Speaking to The Visitor, he added: “It could be retail on the ground floor and apartments above it, or somebody could link it to the Eric Morecambe statue in some way.”

Before it became the Office bar, the building was a popular nightspot in the 1980s and nineties, known as the Whistling Oyster. Its previous success and prominent location suggest that the right kind of business could enjoy a healthy turnover in the building.