A CHINESE restaurant in Worcester has closed and the site will reportedly be replaced with a bar.

It is believed that an independent bar named Mojo will open at the site.

U Canteen opened on Monday, January 22 on Angel Street. After less than six months it has now closed.

Joe Birch, the manager of The Horn and Trumpet pub, next-door to the former restaurant told us that the business owners of U Canteen "just weren't making any money."

He said: "I've spoken to them and they weren't making the money they expected to be making so have had to close. It is going to be a bar called mojo."

Mr Birch said that the bar moving into the site is not owned by the large chain 'MOJO' who have bars around the country, but a smaller independent brand under the same name. They currently have a bar in Wrexam, a source said. The new bar will apparently have a 360 degree bar and will also serve fresh food.

Mr Birch said: "I think it will be nice, it will bring some trade into the area."

The news comes as a surprise as last September the plans for the former Co op on Angel Street to be turned Victorian-style gin palace were turned down, which Mr Birch said he was "gutted" about.

He said: "It would have been good, it would have brought trade into the area, but what can you do?"

Worcester City Council's licensing subcommittee rejected the plans. The decision was made after police and local authorities spoke out against Amber Taverns proposal, arguing that it would increase the areas late night disorder.

The area of Angel Street now has several empty, derelict buildings and is a "hotspot of violent crime", said a report from Worcestershire County Council last year. The report stated that the street had a high rate of alcohol-related crimes, including assaults and public-order offences.

"I hate it, it's horrible." Said Mr Birch about there being so many empty, run down buildings on the street.

"People need to invest in this street more, to bring some more people down, but people won't want to when it looks like this, with all the derelict buildings."

U Canteen opened less than six months ago in the site formerly occupied by all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, Angel Chef. That restaurant abruptly closed in 2015 and the premises had been left empty until U Canteen moved in, promising to re create the atmosphere of China Town with fairly priced food.

Worcester City Council said they had no knowledge of plans for a Mojo bar to move into the premises.