A HISTORIC pub in Southampton is getting into the spooky spirit after a huge makeover. 

The Duke of Wellington on Bugle Street has been decorated top to bottom for Halloween.

The pub has been tricked out with a 'creepy circus' theme including jack-in-the-boxes, haunted clowns, and freak show creatures.

Celebrations include a Halloween disco and live music.

READ MORE: Hampshire's most haunted pubs perfect for a Halloween pint

Pub owner Rusty Petlee, 40, who took over the pub in April, said: "It's created a lot of attention for us because we decided to go all out with decorations for our first Halloween here.

"We are zombie infested with creepy creatures all around. We are going to be doing this annually with different themes. This year is a creepy circus.

"The pub is 802 years old so it only makes sense that we go for it with Halloween and the response has been bonkers.

"Regulars and tourists have loved it. We get the tours from Go Southampton stopping here and they've loved the decorations.

"I come from an event planning background and have only been in the pub industry for four years at The Humble Plumb in Bitterne before.

"So I want to bring event planning into the pub and really add something new."

The pub hosted a Halloween disco on Saturday.

Owners are hoping to expand events next year.

Rusty said: "Next year will be even bigger, we hope to do a week of horror movies and have scare actors and do more and more.

"We also plan to have Christmas decorations and events. I hope to turn this place into the north pole."

Assistant manager for the Duke of Wellington, Cam Steven, said he had his "wits scared out of me" by the pub's decorations.

He said: "When you're at the end of the day closing up it's scared me. I have run out of the pub after turning the lights off.

"When you turn the lights off you see a lot of the eyes staring and it scared me the first night and in the morning coming back."

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