A BID to extend an amusement arcade and cafe in Darlington town centre has been blocked by the council's planning committee.

Royals Cafe and Amusements, in Crown Street, had applied for permission to extend its first-floor gaming area and convert the first and second floors into a cafe and offices, respectively.

Planning officers recommended that permission be granted, but after hearing objections from another business owner in the street, Leslie Rickerby, and a town centre property owner, members voted against the application.

Concerns included the encouragement of gambling and the creation of another cafe in a street that is already well served by such establishments.