A pub in the heart of Norwich's clubland is to close temporarily while it undergoes a £170,000 makeover, aimed at transforming it into a family- friendly sports bar.

The Prince of Wales pub, in Prince of Wales Road will call last orders on Monday, July 1 ahead of a revamp which will see it reopen on Friday, July 12 as a John Barras-branded pub.

Bosses say the new-look pub, owned by Spirit Pub Company, will be offering affordable food and a wide range of drinks including cask ales, lagers and beers, with a focus on sports entertainment.

The investment will also see the pub fitted with Sky HD televisions, new furniture, a refurbished bar and revamped toilets, while the sports area of the new pub will include three TVs and a dartboard. The kitchen will also be overhauled with new equipment and bosses said that jobs would be created thanks to the new look.

Ian Judge, general manager of the Prince Of Wales, said: 'We cannot wait to introduce the John Barras brand to our community.

'The changes we have planned will allow us to provide our guests with a great venue to watch or play sports, enjoy a pint after work or take the family out for a meal.

'We want the Prince Of Wales to be famous within our community as the best place for ales; we have three cask ales running at any one time and work with local and national breweries to constantly keep our guests coming back for something new.'

Neil Skoyles, a team leader at the pub where he has worked for the past year and a half, said: 'It's going to freshen us up and take us into more of a dining bar. I'm looking forward to it – it will be nice to see what it looks like.'

The pub is also recruiting for part-time positions on the bar and in the kitchen.

Mr Judge said: 'I'm on the look out for bright, passionate and enthusiastic individuals that enjoy working in a team and performing under pressure.'

The Prince of Wales revamp fits in with the Norwich Evening News's Love Your Local campaign which encourages people to support their local pub.

For more stories, log on to www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal