Bill's secures bookmaker's site on Baker Street

Bill's restaurant group has secured a site on London's Baker Street and is considering taking over further former bookmaker sites in the capital.

The chain has taken over a former Ladbrokes site and expects more to come on the market as bookmakers scale back due to an increase in gaming machine duty.

CDG Leisure said that other betting shops across London - including Dover Street, Mayfair, Charing Cross Road and at Aldgate - were also being marketed as potential restaurant sites.

They are just a handful of sites up for grabs as Ladbrokes steps up its high street sell off. William Hill has also said it planned to close more than 100 betting shops.

Sammy Weinbaum from CDG Leisure said: "The bookmakers are having to think hard about their outlets and these properties are often in great locations for passing trade so are very attractive to restaurant chains which are booming across the capital."

He added that Bill's, which is backed by Richard Caring, acquired the Baker Street site for a six figure sum.

Weinbaum said: "We made Ladbrokes an off market offer on behalf of Bills as Baker Street is one of the key areas in London and a top restaurant destination.

"Since then Ladbrokes has put other top locations on the market as they realised the appetite for such sites."