A PUB dating back to the 1930s – which saw a dip in trade after the closure of Redcar's steelworks – has just under gone a £104,000 revamp.

The Ship at Marske, east Cleveland, had been operating as a restaurant, but suffered from the loss of the nearby steelworks last year.

Former steelworker Antony Graham, and Janet Thornton, took over, ran it as a pub once more, and have already managed to double trade.

Redcar MP Anna Turley joined them to celebrate the reopening of the pub – the first major investment in the village since the closure of the steelworks – and to mark the occasion she cracked open a bottle of sparking cider in ship-launching tradition.

The pub was built with mock Tudor timbers, salvaged from World War One battleships HMS Collingwood and HMS Southampton.

The funds have been spent reconfiguring and improving the tired and outdated interior whilst retaining the Ship’s character.

It now has a fisherman’s bar, sports bar with Sky sports and a pool table, a lounge and 70-seater restaurant. The first-floor function room and five letting rooms have also been refurbished.

The Ship is the couple's first pub and has a special place in their hearts as it is where they first met 15 years ago. Ms Thornton had been working at the pub when Mr Graham was an engineer at the steel works.

Antony said: “We used to drink at The Ship over the years and have witnessed it go downhill. Our vision was to restore the pub to how it had been 12 years ago."

Ms Turley said: “The Ship is one of Marske’s gems and it is great to see it refurbished and returned to its former glory."

The investment was made by the pub's owners, Star Pubs and Inns.