SISTERS who took over a bar with “a bit of a reputation” believe they have turned it into “Musselburgh’s friendliest pub”.

Rebecca and Victoria Fowler took over The Sportsman Bar in May last year, with a view to transforming the High Street premises.

The venue has signed up to Best Bar None Scotland and Rebecca, of Tranent, felt it had made a massive difference in turning the business around.

She said: “Having previously worked in The Sportsman, we knew what we were taking on but also knew it was something we could make work.

“The pub had a bit of a reputation. We wanted to turn it into a safe place for people to come and enjoy a night out with a bit of banter thrown in: ‘Musselburgh’s friendliest pub.’ But we knew this wouldn’t happen overnight.”

Best Bar None Scotland aims to ensure everyone can enjoy a safe night out.

The national scheme, which works through a partnership between local authorities, the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other organisations, works to reduce crime, reward excellence, and raise standards of alcohol licensed premises.

Rebecca added: “Licensing recommended we joined ‘Best Bar None’ and we were interested straight away since we knew we needed help to make the pub work.

“After speaking to the local co-ordinator and reading through the guidelines, we decided to use the ‘Best Bar None’ checklist as a guide to show us the safety changes we had to make if the pub was going to be a success.”

Rebecca and Victoria, of Wallyford, had both previously worked in the pub, which is at the junction of High Street and Newbigging.

Rebecca told the Courier that promoting initiatives such as Ask Angela, designed to keep people safe from sexual assault by using a codeword to identify when they are in danger or an uncomfortable situation, had helped them achieve a silver Best Bar None award.

She added: “We have now eliminated all the trouble and actively promote initiatives like ‘Ask Angela’.

“We even hand out lollipops at the end of busy nights to help reduce noise.

“We know that when our patrons leave the pub they are still our responsibility and need to get home safely.

“All our customers now know that we operate a zerotolerance policy on trouble, including drugs.

“Safety has to be the top priority for any pub and, by working side by side with ‘Best Bar None’, we know we are doing all that we can to create a friendly atmosphere for everyone who comes through the door, giving them an enjoyable and a safe night out.”