A CITY centre pub is hoping to freshen up its image after returning to the name of the original inn that stood on its land.

The Red Lion, which was most recently known as the Goose, in Gloucester Street, has re-opened after a major refurbishment.

Its current building dates back to the early 20th century, but the site was home to the original Red Lion throughout the whole of the 19th century and most of the 20th century.

It later took on the title of the Oxford Bakery and Brewhouse, becoming the Fuggle and Firkin in 1995, before changing to the Goose five years later.

Current manager Jon Wilson said: "The pub's interior has been refreshed and we have made parts of the kitchen visible to customers so they can see their meals being prepared.

"We have also created an attractive outside beer garden, which should prove really popular over the summer months for those looking for a drink or a bite to eat in the sunshine.

"We have also really developed our menu and fresh food on offer, while still maintaining excellent value for money.

"We are open for breakfast daily from 9am, have a range of good-value lunch dishes including roast-meat sandwiches and a host of hearty, traditional pub meals and roast dinners.

"At heart, we are a great local pub and are proud of our range of drinks including leading lagers, good wine selection and up to five cask ales at any one time."

In its previous incarnation as the Goose, the boozer witnessed some incidents of drink-related violence.

In April 2004, a St George's Day brawl erupted after an all-day drinking session involving football fans and far-right sympathisers.

In June 2005, a 17-year-old customer was left with an £8,000 dental bill after being punched in the face.

And in July last year, a knife-crime operation by police found three blades in the venue - the only city-centre pub to yield any weapons during the crackdown.

Andrew Roache, spokesman for the owner Mitchells and Butlers, refused to comment on individual cases, but said: "We constantly evolve our pubs to ensure they meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.

"In the past year for our high-street and city-centre pubs, we have seen growth in food of some 11 per cent.

"Specifically, we have seen a 37-per-cent growth in breakfast sales and a 15-per-cent growth in coffee sales.

"Therefore, we constantly evolve our prime city-centre pub sites to ensure they provide a high level of amenity, food choice and drinks range that our customers want."