A town bar which won national praise for its restoration work is closing down after less than a year.

McLean's, on North Hill in Colchester, has been sold to Spanish-style tapas bar chain La Tasca, and closed down at the weekend.

Parts of the listed building date back nearly 800 years, and the conversion work was praised by English Heritage

Andrew McLean, who opened the bar with brother Steve, said the business had received an offer it could not refuse, and had to move out by Wednesday.

He added: "We have been bought out by an investment company who will be turning it into a tapas bar and restaurant. They came along and said they wanted to buy the building. It was an offer we could not refuse."

Mr McLean said he had no plans to open another bar in the town in the near future, but did not rule it out completely. He added: "Everybody is disappointed by the fact we are closing."

A spokesman for La Tasca said the company was expanding across the country and Colchester was its 34th venue. It would be opening early in July.

McLean's was praised by English Heritage for the £500,000 redevelopment of the Grade II*-listed building.

Published Tuesday, June 10, 2003

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