LAST orders have been called, drinking-up time is over, and the taps have long since run dry.

Now an abandoned York pub could be just days away from been consigned to the history books, after council officers backed plans to convert The Bay Horse, in Marygate, into flats and offices.

The pub served drinkers for more than a century, before closing in late 2003. It has lain empty since, despite two applications to convert it into residential use.

Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, which owns the building, said it is no longer viable as a pub, but a former landlord and landlady today lamented its demise.

Eve and Arthur Briggs, now both in their 80s, ran the pub for 35 years, from 1951 to 1986.

Arthur said today: "We had some good times down there, but the pub life is different nowadays. You can open all day now. My wife was a bit sad to see it go, but things go on. That's change."

He said Eve and he thought it would have made a nice hotel, saying: "It's in a prime position down there, and it's a nice building inside. But if they want to make it flats, it's up to them."

Eve said she was glad the building's character would at least be retained.

Speaking to The Press when the plans were first unveiled, she said: "It's ridiculous. It would make a lovely hotel. I was there 35 years and I have a lot of good memories."

The new plans are for offices on the building's ground floor, and four apartments above - two with one bedroom and two with two bedrooms.

The Bay Horse was built as a pub in 1893-94, from designs by W G Penty. There were internal alterations in the 20th century, but a report to go before a City of York Council planning committee next week says the character and quality of the building remain strong.

The report said the pub has suffered from being neither in the city-centre nor in a densely-populated suburb, and from a lack of passing trade.

Planning officer Simon Glazier concluded: "The loss of the public house, for which the building was originally designed, is clearly regrettable. However, the listed building has been vacant for almost four years and it is important that alternative uses are considered in order to secure the future use and upkeep of the building."

The application will be considered by the council's west and city centre area planning sub-committee next Thursday at 3pm in the Guildhall.

* Do you have fond memories of The Bay Horse? Send your stories to gavin.aitchison@ycp.co.uk