All is dandy at Sunderland bar, says boss

Dandy Longlegs in Silksworth Row closed earlier this week, with a sign up in the window saying the landlord had taken possession of the premises.

But now manager Gavin Lish says the dispute has been resolved and the venue reopened on Friday.

Gavin is delighted to have the situation resolved and to be back in business - but worried about what harm has been done to the business’ reputation.

"I am concerned about what damage it has done but hopefully people will come back and they will appreciate it was not a monetary issue but a lease issue," he said.

Management had tried to be as open as possible about the situation but had been limited in what they could, say until the matter was resolved, said Gavin.

The situation had sparked a flurry of posts on social media: "A lot of people in Sunderland were upset that we were closed and there were a lot of rumours going around,” he said.

"We have been honest with everybody as much as we can."

One couple have had to rearrange their wedding reception as a result of the closure, but Gavin said the management team hoped to honour their other bookings as soon as the kitchen was back up and running.

"I am very sorry for letting people down. We just hope people support us like before."