A pub once known for being a "drug den" has been given a major makeover - as the owners battle to attract new customers.

Landlady Colleen Chapman took over the William Harvey Inn, in Willesborough, Ashford, in 2018 and ever since has worked hard to shift its "bad reputation".

And now she hopes the introduction of Caribbean and Thai menus, as well as recent refurbishments, will draw families back to the pub.

"We want to get across that this isn't a drug den, it’s a family-led business and we've totally changed it," Ms Chapman said.

Her grandson Charlie Smith, who is the bar manager, oversaw the recent revamp.

"When we started, nobody really came here because it had such a bad reputation, so we’ve tried to change it so it's more of a family pub," he said.

"Locals who never used to come here are now coming in every week - so it shows how much it has changed."

The team recently spent four days refreshing the bar and restaurant inside, and two days repainting the exterior walls to brighten up the facility in Church Road.

"The bar was a dark blue colour, it was black behind the bar - it was just so dark in here," said Mr Smith.

"The outside has now been repainted grey, we’ve had an industrial carpet cleaner come in and we’ve got LED lights behind the bar so it lightens it up a bit.

"We’ve got a Caribbean chef on weekdays then we’ve got a Thai chef on a Friday night.

"We’ve got a new cocktail menu and loads of charity events going on too.

"New signs are up outside and we’ve had the garden sorted out.

"There is a new roof on the hut, it has been jet washed and we’ve painted all the benches and had the children's play area put in."

The bathrooms and the pool room have also been renovated and sofas now sit in front of the historic fireplace to create a cosy space.

The new menu officially launched on Thursday, September 1.

It serves Caribbean food throughout the week alongside an English menu and serves Thai food on Friday evenings between 6pm and 9pm.

It also hosts fish night on Thursdays and roast dinners on Sundays.

The William Harvey is also planning to host an 80s themed four year anniversary party on November 11.

The historic pub is Grade II-listed and the timber-framed building is thought to trace back to the 15th or 16th century.