AN ICONIC Victorian pub will open its doors next month after a six-figure overhaul.

The Duke William on St John's Square in Burslem is to open for business on Good Friday, April 2, following nearly three months of work.

Landlord Mark Aston, who also runs the Mother Town's Post Office Vaults, bought the pub in January and started the process of bringing it back to life.

The 47-year-old said: "The work has gone really well and we have kept all the original features.

"We have managed to clean and restore so many things that were in the pub, and I'm really pleased with it."

Mr Aston set a budget of £150,000 to overhaul the pub.

He added: "By the end we will have gone over budget, but the place is worth it."

Mr Aston has submitted a licence application to Stoke-on-Trent City Council to open the venue seven-days-a-week, from 10am until 2am.

He said: "We won't be really using the 2am closing time, unless we have a band on or something like that."