DRINKERS at an Oxford pub may be forgiven for thinking they have stepped into the past.

Copa in George Street has been rebranded the Wig and Pen, which was its original name until a decade ago.

Bosses at operator Greene King say they decided to go back to the future after bowing to customer demand.

But the Oxfordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is not so impressed.

A “six-figure sum” has been spent on the prominent hostelry to transform it from a trendy bar into a city centre pub.

Seven new jobs have been created, taking the staff to 17, including new manager George Momcilovic.

He said: “The Wig and Pen has gone back to its roots as a proper pub and I’m proud to be part of something that holds a special place in our customers’ hearts.

“Until recently, I was the manager at the Grapes also on George Street, so I know the city and its people well and look forward to meeting customers old and new.”

The building was known as the Wig and Pen until about 2003. Before that it was a store operated by Belfast Linen, becoming a pub in 1996 after being bought by Morlands, which was then taken over by Greene King in 1999.

Matt Bullock, chairman of Oxford CAMRA, who has visited the pub, said: “This was a made up name with no history and it's not as if it has got a great deal of history behind it.

“But it's good to see they are selling some local beers alongside their own”