The 260-year-old pub that has become a 'disgrace'

Residents living near a derelict pub which has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour have welcomed news of the site being put up for sale.

The Old Red Lion on York Road in Whinmoor had been a pub since the 1760s but has fallen into disrepair since closing in 2021, with arsonists targeting the venue nine times in 16 days this summer, according to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The agent marketing the privately owned site said it had attracted "a lot of interest", adding that an alternative future for the former public house was "likely".

"Someone's got to do something about it, it's just a disgrace the way it is now," said Roland Leaf, who lives in a neighbouring property.

He explained that local kids were routinely trespassing inside the building and had thrown objects on to the adjacent A64 road.

He and others the BBC spoke to said antisocial behaviour there was, at times, a daily occurence - accusing the police of doing little to stop it.

A West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said nine fires were recorded at the site of the Old Red Lion between 16 August and 1 September.

All of them were believed to have been started deliberately.

When the BBC visited, two young people were inside the pub looking around, having entered through a smashed ground-floor window.

Insp Richard Neeves, who leads the Leeds East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said officers had been "working to tackle anti-social behaviour around the site for some time".

"We fully appreciate the impact it has on nearby residents," he added.

"My officers continue to carry out regular patrols of the area and respond appropriately to reports of incidents when they are received."

Insp Neeves said the condition and security of the site was the responsibility of the owner.

According to Companies House, the pub's owners, Dorby Inns Limited, has been placed into liquidation.

Meanwhile, the boarded-up boozer has been left in a sorry state and unprotected from further damage.

Aside from holes in the roof, the building's interior had been pulled apart with rubbish - including a funeral wreath - left scattered across the site.

Across the road, a sign reads 'Welcome to Whinmoor'.

"We are sick of it being an eyesore," said 61-year-old John Pope, who has lived in the neighbourhood all his life and enjoyed visiting the pub when it was open.

A fixture on the corner of York Road and Baildon Drive for generations and reportedly passed by 30,000 vehicle movements per day, what would he like to see replace the familiar sight on the A64?

"Something so the kids aren't hanging about," he said, suggesting new homes or a shop.

Fast food chain McDonald's had two planning applications on the site turned down on road safety and public health grounds despite overall public support.

Earlier this year SAVE Britain's Heritage, which highlights historic vacant buildings and advocates for their reuse, added The Old Red Lion to its buildings at risk list.

The organisation's heritage engagement manager Amy Popham said the sale was "a great opportunity for someone to rescue this local pub with so many years of local history attached".

Those living nearby felt different.

"As long as it's not another pub because that wasn't a good thing," said Ellie, another neighbouring resident.

Shortly before its closure the pub lost its licence after a stabbing, as well as reports of antisocial behaviour there.

Roland recalled helping the stabbing victim after he jumped into his garden to escape his attackers.

"They can build a block of flats there," declared the 78-year-old.

"I don't care, just as long as kids don't come and wreck the place."

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