Late-night bars group Po Na Na, due to open an outlet in Brighton, today said it had put back plans to open new venues.

The London-based company is struggling to offload under-performing sites.

London-based Po Na Na, which has a 57-strong bar portfolio, has so far sold only two of the seven sites identified for disposal last year.

Another two have been added to the unwanted list since December as Po Na Na warned the slow sale process would hamper expansion elsewhere.

In January, it announced plans for outlets at Brighton, Reading, west London and Inverness and earmarked another ten in the following financial year.

But Po Na Na said today: "New openings have been delayed pending the receipt of the disposal proceeds, in accordance with the group's strict financial disciplines."

A spokesman said sites in Cardiff, Swansea, Croydon, Bolton and Norwich have been among those deemed surplus to requirements in the last year. A full list of the venues up for sale has not been given.

The group has 26 Po Na Na sites, 9 Fez clubs and 22 other bars including Bambuda. It also runs the Hammersmith Palais.