A desperate attempt is being made to sell a failed Italian restaurant, which has now sat empty in Pitsea for a whole year.

The Bella Pasta restaurant, under the A13 opposite Pitsea market, closed its doors in February last year.

A lack of profit was blamed for the sudden closure of the restaurant, four years after it opened. The venue's 30 staff were offered positions in other Whitbread outlets.

At one point, a serious buyer was close to taking on the empty shell but the deal fell through at the last minute.

However, few other companies have come forward to show an interest in the prime site. Those who have registered a possible interest have been local business people.

A spokeswoman for Whitbread said: "The Bella Pasta site in Pitsea is on the market. That has been the situation for a year now.

"We have had a few local people show an interest, but it has not come to anything. We are doing all we can to sell this building. We are desperate to find a buyer."

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