Three popular Leeds city centre bars have been forced to close.

Leeds Bierkeller Entertainment Complex - that contains Leeds Bierkeller, Shooters Bar Leeds and Smokin’ Bar & Kitchen - was closed down this week because the company that owns it cannot secure a permanent tenancy.

Access Commercial Investors 6 took over the three-bar site in South Parade five months ago, after the original owners BurningNight Group went into administration.

They secured a temporary tenancy for the venues, but earlier this week the landlord told them their application for a permanent tenancy had been refused.

60 jobs will be lost as a result of the closure, but the firm says it is exploring 'possible alternative employment options elsewhere in the business.'

A company spokesman said: “We had no advance knowledge and were given no warning of this and, as a result, everyone has been left in unnecessary limbo by the sudden closure.

'It is obviously not the outcome we were looking for'

“It was always our intention to remain in the existing premises for as long as possible and try to secure a permanent tenancy.

"Our primary concern when we took over the business was to keep it running and to secure the jobs of everyone working at each site.

“This decision has left us unable to do this, it has been taken out of our hands, and it is obviously not the outcome we were looking for.

“Bierkeller Leeds employs 60 people and their roles, as they were, now no longer exist with no notice which we believe was completely unnecessary.

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"Even if the final outcome could not have been avoided, we feel there could have been a more open communication and the wind down process could have been more controlled to minimise the impact on staff.”

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