Plans have been revealed for a High Harrington pub to be given to the community.

Ron Thompson, 69, who owns The Galloping Horse on Main Road, is spending thousands of pounds on a revamp to make sure it is a viable business.

He has applied to Allerdale council for planning permission to upgrade the pub.

Mr Thompson, who has been married to Kathy for 37 years and has two grown-up children, is hoping to relaunch the pub, with work starting in the first part of next year.

He said: "We have to make the pub appealing to a broader section of people.

"There's going to be an eating area, a bar and a cafe lounge. We want to create different spaces and make sure the business is viable."

He said that ultimately we would like the pub to belong to the community.

Mr Thompson, who now lives in Virginia, USA, but was brought up in Siddick, said: "This pub has been part of the High Harrington community since I can remember.

"The plan was always to stabilise the pub, implement it and then possibly at some point in its life give it to the community. Now we are at the second stage.

"I'm taking the financial risk, but the success of the pub depends on the people if they are willing to support it."

"What I'm doing here is different from buying a pub to make money, that's what I do with my hotel business in the States.

"Whenever I come back to the UK this is where I drink."

He added that he wants to form a community group actively involved in operating the pub and work with Lakes College to offer apprenticeships.

Craig Lowery, who runs Mr Thompson's UK-based business Galloping Horse Ltd, was landlord at the pub before the acquisition.

Mr Lowery, 35, of Main Road, High Harrington, who has three children, Sean, 10, Theo, four and Jude, two, said: "I ran the pub for five years.

"When Ron bought it, it was the first time in the pub's history that it became a free house. Previously it was part of the Marston's group.

"I thought it was a very interesting and stimulating project for me to be involved."