A POPULAR student bar has been forced to shut for almost a fortnight due to an administrative error.
The Hobbit pub will undergo a small refurbishment over the festive period before coming back with a bang for New Year's Eve.
A change in the licensing act meant the pub overlooked a need for 28 days' notice in a lease transfer.
The Hobbit was forced to close on December 13 after a last ditch attempt by lawyers failed to resolve the administrative error.
The Portswood boozer recently won the Best Local Pub category in the Best Bar None awards at St Mary's in May this year.
Steve Dockrell, owner of The Hobbit, has been a licensee in Southampton for 15 years managing eight different pubs and has an unblemished record.
Steve, 54 said, "It's just one of those things, but we'll be back with a bang for New Year's Eve and it'll be one hell of a party."
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