A POPULAR music venue in Huddersfield has got a stay of execution.

Owner Roy Thurwell was due to host a farewell do at Abrahams in Westgate on Saturday.

But the soon-to-be new owners Dream Loft Leisure Ltd, of Manchester, have offered to let him stay until the new year to guard against vandalism.

"That means we are now looking at closing on Saturday, January 3," said Roy.

The planned `farewell concert' is still going ahead on Saturday with headline acts Mr Zippy and GREBO, along with four other bands. The evening starts at 6pm.

There will be more live music at the pub, in Westgate, until the pub's closure.

"I'm quite pleased about staying on for another couple of months - we've had lots of inquiries about bookings," he said.

Roy and his wife, Sue, who have been in the pub for more than 20 years, said they wanted to buy a small hotel or guesthouse when they leave.

The pub has been sold and will be converted into about 20 mainly one-bedroomed high-specification apartments.

Mr Peter Lynch, a manager at Dream Pad Leisure, a division of Dream Loft Leisure, said the apartments would have timber floors and stainless steel kitchen appliances.

Prices are expected to be in the £90,000 to £110,000 range.

Plans are to be submitted to Kirklees Council's planning department within the next two weeks.

If permission is granted, work would be expected to start in January.

The company is also working on two other apartment conversion projects in Huddersfield - Metrodent, in Chancery Lane, and Kayes' College.