A WORCESTER caf owner says he is being forced to stand by and watch his business fail while the national chain that has taken his customers continues to trade without permission.

Trade has fallen off dramatically at Marbles Caf, on the first floor of Worcester Market Hall, since Caff Nero opened in the Shambles last September without planning permission.

Now the owner of Marbles, Roger Yeomans, a 55-year-old Ronkswood man who sank his life savings into the business after leaving MG Rover five years ago, is no longer able to make a living.

He said: "I am doing 50 to 60 hours a week, just to pay the bills. We were really busy before they opened and now the caf is empty at lunchtime. I could lose it all."

As reported in the Worcester News last year, Mr Yeomans wanted to buy the vacant shop before Caff Nero moved in, but was advised by city planners that it was council policy to oppose any change of use in order to safeguard the "vitality and viability" of the city centre.

He was therefore shocked when Caff Nero opened.

Worcester City Council did not issue an enforcement notice, because the coffee shop chain made a planning application in October.

The application was later withdrawn after planning officers recommended that it be turned down and a new application was submitted only this week, which is being examined by officers.

Worcester City Council's planning manager Paul O'Connor said Caff Nero wanted to demonstrate that its presence in the Shambles would enhance the vitality and viability of the area.

He said: "They cite an example in a secondary shopping street in Winchester, where an appeal inspector accepted Caff Nero because it was a sufficiently big name to draw customers to the shopping area," he said.

"An individual could not say that, which is worrying."

He said that even if planning permission was not given, Caff Nero would probably appeal, which could take another nine months to a year to resolve.

Worcester MP Mike Foster said: "The big boys like Tesco and Caff Nero have the clout and lots of lawyers on their side, while the small retailer doesn't have that support.

"If the planning officers want to share their concerns with me, I am only too willing to take up these issues with the relevant ministers."

Christopher Harvey, policy manager for the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said shopping centres were best with a diverse mixture of big names and independent traders.

"We do need to find ways of encouraging and supporting individual traders, but there is no easy answer," he said.

No one from Caff Nero was available to comment.