A WORCESTER restaurant is at risk of closure as its owner plans to shut down over 100 sites across the country.

Whitbread, the firm behind the Beefeater chain, has revealed plans to shut 126 "lower-performing" restaurants after a reduction in footfall at some locations.

Although the company has not disclosed a full list of the sites earmarked for closure,  a spokesperson said the proposals could impact Worcester's Beefeater restaurant, Three Pears in Wainwright Road. 

However, they said that plans to close restaurants are subject to consultation, and a final decision would not be made for at least 45 days.

There are no immediate changes and the site is open and trading as usual.

The spokesperson said: "We recognise that this will be unsettling for our team members and we are providing them with dedicated support.

"We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by either transferring into new roles, or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly through our existing recruitment activity."

The company spokesperson said that the closed restaurants could become extra hotel rooms, contributing to the hotel's expansion of around 3,500 more rooms across the UK.

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Whitbread's chief executive officer Dominic Paul said: "Continuing to invest in our brand and teams for the benefit of our guests and customers has secured a market-leading position and is also delivering strong business performance.

"Our significant freehold estate and strong balance sheet mean we are in a unique position to be able to add 3,500 new hotel rooms and meet the strong demand we are seeing from guests around the country, continuing to offer a great breakfast and dinner at all of our hotels. This plan is a further positive step, delivering a better experience for our hotel guests in the UK.

"I recognise that these changes will be unsettling for affected team members and we are committed to working to enable as many as possible of those affected to stay by  transferring into other vacancies across the business more broadly. Our teams are at the heart of our guest experience, and I want to thank each and every team member for their continued hard work and dedication to great quality, service and value."