A BETTING shop chain has defied the odds and is setting up on a prime site in York.

Done Brothers, the independent bookmaker, has leased what used to be Poppins Restaurant opposite Marks & Spencer at The Pavement where a £70,000 fit-out is now taking place.

Last December the chain's application for a licence to operate there was refused after objections from Ladbrokes, William Hill and Corals.

They claimed that there was insufficient demand for another betting shop in York and that any increased growth could, for the time being, be absorbed by existing shops, which were then operating below capacity, but the refusal was overturned on appeal.

Now the work on the 1,200 sq ft site to provide customers with the most up-to-date information screens, technology and comfort, is moving apace.

Mark Stebbings, of Done Brothers, which has 316 betting offices from Plymouth to Newcastle, was coy about the terms of the lease of the Pavement property, but the premises were being marketed for £72 per square ft. He said: "Of course there is a demand for a Done there. We offer enhanced bonuses which means that customers get a little bit more than other bookmakers.

"York is the most prestigious racing town in the North of England and we want a presence there."

Jamie Wheldon of agents DTZ which represented owners St Martins Property Corporation Ltd, said: "The restaurant was too small for a large retail chain and too big for a small operator. Done offered the right solution."

Updated: 09:51 Tuesday, August 27, 2002