A HIGH quality restaurant could take the place of a popular fast-food cafe which closed last month in Bolton town centre.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which created more than 40 full and part-time jobs when it leased the former Alliance and Leicester building in Deansgate in 2002, shut in December following a "trading review".

Bolton Council is now seeking talks with the landlord about the future of the building, which KFC occupied over three floors with seating for up to 100 customers.

Nick Putnam, the council's town centre development co-ordinator said: "This is a prime location and would lend itself to a conversion to a proper' restaurant or a coffee shop.

"We would like to see a high-quality leisure use as opposed to a retail unit.

"One or two restaurant operators have been in touch recently about the possibility of opening in Bolton.

"We can put them in touch with the landlord's agent, who I'm hoping to speak to soon." Cllr Ebrahim Adia, the council's executive member for development, said: "It would be nice if we could attract a high-quality restaurant.

"Obviously, it depends on who expresses an interest in the site, but I think Bolton would benefit from having more restaurants.

"This is a prominent location and important for the vitality of the town centre, which is the engine room in terms of jobs in Bolton.

"We have to make sure that where businesses close, we get the buildings back into employment use as soon as possible.

"Vacant units affect the image of the town centre."