TEN jobs are set to be lost following the decision to close a roadside restaurant at Nacton.Staff at the Little Chef at Nacton, on the westbound carriageway near to the Orwell Bridge, have been told the refreshments stop has been trading poorly compared with the company's other restaurants on the road network.

TEN jobs are set to be lost following the decision to close a roadside restaurant at Nacton.

Staff at the Little Chef at Nacton, on the westbound carriageway near to the Orwell Bridge, have been told the refreshments stop has been trading poorly compared with the company's other restaurants on the road network.

All efforts are to be made to find workers jobs at the other restaurants.

But some customers who regularly use the restaurant – the first service area out of Felixstowe and the last on the A14 until Haughley – have been left angry and upset at the closure announcement.

Alan Dilley, of Rendlesham Road, Felixstowe, said: "I travel a route from Felixstowe to Stansted every day, including weekends, and I use Little Chef branches several times a week and have been to all sites on that route.

"The best Little Chef in this bunch – in fact, all areas we have ever been – was at Nacton, Ipswich.

"It is very clean, well run, good well-cooked food, good service and friendly reliable staff, always a smile, and if there was a delay you would be told.

"This restaurant is and was a showpiece for the group and it had regular customers."

Mr Dilley feared the reduction in restaurants would mean the existing ones on the route being packed with customers and people not being able to get served.

He has written to Little Chef, part of Travelodge Hotels Ltd, to protest at the closure decision.

A spokeswoman for Little Chef said the Nacton restaurant had been "trading uneconomically and does not give a fair representation of the performance of the brand."

She added: "This has resulted in a decision to close the restaurant.

"We will attempt to reallocate, where possible, staff members and we will be communicating with any customers affected by the closure of these sites.

"The site is currently undergoing a consultation process with the staff. In light of this Little Chef cannot confirm any details of staff re-locations at this time, but we would be happy to advise the outcome of the consultation in due course."

n. What do you think of the decision to close? Are you a regular customer at the Nacton Little Chef? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk