A popular town centre cafe in Worthing may have to close after a planning wrangle.

Worthing Borough Council claims Caffe Nero, in the Royal Arcade, Montague Street, has permission for shop use but officials say the cafe is classified as a restaurant.

Now Caffe Nero, which employs seven people, has appealed to the Government in a bid to stay open.

And Richard John, who runs The Royal Arcade, urged the council to stop wasting its time, adding: "My message to the council would be to focus attention on things that really need to be looked at.

"When somebody spends a lot of money on a business that looks good and is well-supported by local people I would have thought retrospective planning permission would have been granted.

"Caffe Nero is a perfectly good business and they are forcing it to close, which does seem a bit odd."

James Appleton, the council's development control officer, said: "It is within the main shopping core of the town and our policy resists restaurant use there.

"They opened up and have been arguing that it is not a restaurant.

"We have been in contact with Caffe Nero and we are looking at whether they can adjust their premises to include more shop use on the ground floor. We are having some discussion to see if there is a compromise solution."

Ben Price, finance director of Caffe Nero, said: "The planning issue is a complicated one. It is a grey area about where our use falls.

"I think it would be a shame for the town if we have to close. It is a very nice use for the site and a good unit for the town. I am still hopeful that a sensible compromise can be arrived at.

"No one is saying our use is unpleasant or offensive. It has a daytime trade, no alcohol and no fume extraction, and there is a decent-sized section of Worthing's community that likes us being there."

Councillor Bob Clare, development control committee chairman, said: "The council is concerned to ensure its policies are properly interpreted."

He pointed to Chapel Road, transformed in character by estate agents, then by superpubs, as an example of how the retail make-up of the town centre can change without controls.