Alciveadis ‘Al’ Mavredis was attacked outside the Royal Oak and died in hospital two weeks later

A PUB on an Archway estate that was shut down three years ago following a stabbing is set to be converted into a grocery shop and cafe.

Established on the Elthorne estate in the 1980s, the Royal Oak has stood vacant since late 2021 when its licence was revoked after a man was stabbed multiple times at the venue and staff allegedly rushed to clean up the crime scene rather than call the police.

This week it was confirmed that the venue will never again reopen as a boozer, after Islington Council approved an application to convert it into a shop.

Hillrise councillor Shreya Nanda said: “We didn’t think it was safe to keep it operating as a pub because of these serious incidents.

“Community safety is our top priority. We’ve had murders of young people locally so we’re really concerned about what we can do to make the area safer and I think bringing this [site] back into use is a really positive thing.”

The stabbing in 2021 followed a fatal incident in 2019 when Hornsey mechanic Alciveadis “Al” Mavredis, 59, was attacked outside the Royal Oak and died in hospital two weeks later.

Mr Mavredis had featured in MTV’s Pimp My Ride UK as a mechanic in the Noughties.

There was also a serious assault outside the pub in 2015, when staff failed to call the police.

The Tribune understands that the new shop will be run by the same people who operate off-licence and grocery store King Food & Wine, on King Henry’s Walk in Mildmay.

The new owners hope to support local initiatives in Archway, including community charities Caxton House and Elthorne Pride.

The new shop is expected to open by the end of September.