Almost 30 people have lost their jobs after a roadside restaurant was shut down.

The Little Chef on the A24 in Horsham was closed on Wednesday night after its owner - The People's Restaurant Group (PRG) - fell into administration.

The remaining nine Little Chef restaurants in Sussex were bought by turnaround specialist R Capital, along with 184 others across Britain in a New Year rescue deal.

A further 41 diners have closed after PRG's directors called in administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers having failed to find someone to buy the whole business.

A Little Chef spokesman said: "Regrettably, the Horsham Little Chef is one of the restaurants that have been closed with immediate effect.

"The decision to close the restaurant is in no way a reflection on the excellent and loyal service the team and manager have provided at the restaurant over the years."

"The restaurant is currently undergoing a consultation process with the staff, which may include relocation opportunities."

Little Chef ran into trouble after Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow, who own PRG, bought it from private equity firm Permira for £52 million in October 2005.

It is thought to have made losses of £3 million in the past 12 months and Mr Wosskow has wanted out of the business since suffering a heart attack.