A juice bar which was squeezed out of its pitch has been saved at the eleventh hour.

Owners of Bar Juicy were devastated when they were told they would have to leave the site outside Brighton's Churchill Square and feared they would have to sell up.

The family business, which serves healthy snacks and drinks, was given six weeks to find a new venue.

Now a Brighton business has come to the rescue.

Bosses at Puccino's coffee shop in Bartholomews, have let the juice bar take over part of their building.

Bar Juicy owner Sheila McDonald said: "We are absolutely delighted, it's like a dream come true.

"One of our suppliers heard about the situation - he didn't realise what was happening until he saw the article in The Argus.

"From there it was word of mouth and Puccino's offered us a place."

Mrs McDonald and her son Rory closed the tram in Churchill Square on September 30 and Bar Juicy has now settled in between Puccino's and Bella Italia.

Mrs McDonald said: "When we told our customers we might have to close they were really upset. Many people want healthy snacks in the city centre, not just fast food."

The former medical representative moved her family to Shoreham from Horsham for the business and built up a healthy customer base with the vitamin-packed snacks.

But Standard Life, which owns the shopping centre, told her in July she would have to leave.

Churchill Square marketing manager Peter Beard said last month: "Standard Life decided to exercise certain clauses in the agreement to terminate the business at an agreed date."

He refused to comment on the rent costs or proposed changes to the trams.

Friday October 03, 2003