Keith Mowbray, a well-known figure in the forecourt industry whose Maypole Service Station on the outskirts of Birmingham has been in mothballs for five years, has found a company to rejuvenate it.

He has leased it to Top 50 Indie Krisco Seyon, which has spent £250,000 refurbishing the site and is reopening it on December 21.

Mowbray ran the site for 30 years before closing it in March 2008. He says he had a number of offers for the site from developers, but he wanted it to remain as a filling station, and held out for someone who was willing to invest in the site.

He commented: “It was the worst financial deal for me but I am so happy to see it reopen as a forecourt. Krisco have put their heart and soul into it.”

Krisco managing director Kris Navaratnam said work carried out included relining the tanks, renewing the pipework and canopy, installing new pumps and extending the shop. The shop will be a Londis and the petrol branding will be Texaco.

The new site will take Krisco to a total of 13 and Navaratnam said an additional four acquisitions were in the pipeline.