A HISTORIC town centre bar has gone into liquidation and been revived as a night-time venue.

Clitheroe Social Club Ltd, which dates back to 1872, was wound up by owner and landlord Michael Cuncarr earlier this month.

Its Wellgate premises have been taken over by his parents Pauline and Stephen who have long experience of running pubs in Accrington.

Their new company MCFB Ltd has reopened the club as ‘Solos’ and they are in the process of reopening it with the building’s owner prior to relaunching it is a night-time venue later this year.

The social club, which employs four bar staff and weekend security, dates back to 1872 when it was founded as Clitheroe Liberal Club before changing its name in the middle of the last century.

Mr Cuncarr’s parents ran Accrington’s Hope and Anchor, Broadway and Arden pubs.

He took it over in 2014 after it closed down for several weeks.

Mr Cuncarr, 30, said: “I am sad that I had to put the club into liquidation but pleased my parents have taken over the lease.

“The are very experienced in the licensed trade. I have gone from the owner to an employee.

“When I took it over I invested a lot of money doing it up before building it up from nothing,

“I ran a pretty successful business for five years but eventually I wasn’t taking enough money regularly to cover any unexpected costs. We did not have the steady custom. It was very up and down.

“I was advised by my accountant to seek voluntary liquidation. It was very disappointing.

“We used to open on Thursdays for our snooker teams, until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and on Sundays.

“My parents are planning to turn the premises into a night-time venue. There is a licence until 3.30am.

“They want to bring a bit of a buzz to Clitheroe with events like Northern Soul and Dance Music nights.

“It now opens Thursdays for the snooker and will open until 3.30am on Fridays and Saturdays but they are not sure about Sundays. The landlord is doing up the toilets and then they will do up the club for a relaunch later this year.”

Cllr Allan Knox, who represents Clitheroe’s Primrose ward, said: “I am sad Mr Cuncarr had to liquidate this club which has a lot of history. It has been there for more than 150 years and I would have been disappointing had the club closed for good.

“I am pleased his parents have taken it over and hope they can tap into Clitheroe’s lively night-time economy.”

Liquidator Jeremy Frost said: “The business failed because its income could not cover its expenditure.”