High street bar chain Yates's is ending 120 years of history by dropping the Wine Lodge part of its name.

Bosses thought the term Wine Lodge brought to mind a Victorian, smoky, dimly-lit and male-dominated environment and Yates's said it was keen to dispel the image as part of £21 million worth of investment in its 130 bars across England, Scotland and Wales. It has an outlet in Bridge Street, Swindon.

Revamped outlets feature contemporary design, plasma TV screens, and hi-tech sound and lighting systems.

Mark Jones, chief executive of Yates's, said: "It'll take time, but we want Yates's just Yates's to come to mean all that is best about high street bars.

"Wine Lodge served us well for more than 100 years, but we need to look to the future."