A ONCE-TROUBLED Laindon pub has reopened under new management after £80,000 was spent on it.

The Joker pub at the Laindon Centre, off High Road, had been boarded up since New Year’s Day, following a string of problems with fights and antisocial behaviour.

However new owners have now come in and hope to turn the pub into a family-friendly venue for the whole community to enjoy.

The Joker, which previously had just two bars, now has three bar areas, which have all been redecorated and refurnished. Furniture has also been added to the beer garden, flat screen TVs been brought in to show sporting events, and 12 security cameras added around the pub to help punters feel secure.

The downstairs function room is also available for hire for community functions.

Landlady Debbie Thompson said: “We’ve only been open a few weeks, but we’ve already hosted a wedding and a funeral function.

“A lot of money has gone into really doing the pub up and turning it into a place people will want to come for a friendly drink.

“The pub has had a reputation as a problem place in the past, but we are hoping to enter into a new chapter now.

“It will take time, but we want people to know we have a lot to offer and that it’s completely under new management.”