A NORTH-EAST nightspot is to reopen later this week having had a £1m facelift.

Owner Absolute Leisure has given the former Plastered Parrot nightclub in Darlington a new look, which will be unveiled at a VIP party night on Friday.

The club, at Commercial Street, closed on October 21 and will reopen with plans to attract the over-21 crowd, at night as well as during the day.

The bar and club will be known as The Lounge - the same as the club/bar in Neville Street, Newcastle.

Absolute Leisure plans to turn The Lounge into a national chain, and aims to open a third club in Hull next year.

Plans include serving food during the day to attract customers.

Manager Leanne Mann said: "It will be a great place for Darlington."

Absolute Leisure, which owns a string of pubs and clubs around the region and in Yorkshire, announced earlier this year it was spending £6m on ventures in Newcastle which would create about 90 jobs.