AN Evesham entrepreneur plans an investment worth up to £2million in a new late night entertainment complex.

Steve Murphy, who already owns the Green Dragon in Oat Street, has acquired the freehold of Giddings pub in Cowl Street, which backs on to the Green Dragon.

Subject to planning approval, Mr Murphy's scheme would provide Evesham with the biggest complex of its type in the Vale across the combined sites. The Green Dragon already caters for up to 350 people as a pub and late night venue and has been refurbished along an American sports bar theme. Mr Murphy, who also chairs the Evesham and District branch of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, believes the new complex could attract up to 1,000 people.

"Now we own a chunk of land that goes from Wallace House down into Cowl Street," said Mr Murphy, who added that he moved quickly to buy the freehold of the Giddings pub once he knew it was on the market.

He went on: "We're hoping to go right round the corner. We've already had meetings with the police and Wychavon District Council. "We want to join it up into one late night venue and entertainment centre."

He said that Evesham's young people had, in the past been attracted to other cities and towns like Worcester, Birmingham and Cheltenham to find suitable entertainment but was convinced his planned venue would provide what they wanted locally.

Mr Murphy's planned new investment, together with what he had already spent, would total around £2million.