Costa Coffee cleared out of its Bridge Street shop yesteday, but looks likely to be back soon.

The Whitbread café chain balked at a rent increase to £76,000 a year, and announced it was to quit earlier this year. The original leaving date was August 10, but the firm stayed on for another month while searching for new premises.

And the competition for Newbury’s frothy coffee fans looks set to intensify with news that Costa is in talks to take the former Bennett’s Insurance shop in Bartholomew Street – just yards from Caffe Nero.

Touch of class

The owners of the Square Bar and Grill are investing heavily on décor in their latest restaurant in Market Place. Le Petit Square opens on the 21st of this month, with a new bar, soft lighting and ambient décor. Newbury.net got a sneak peek at lunchtime, and the old furnishings from the restaurant’s days as Sustenance have long gone.

Deadly tablets alert

A pest control company has sparked a police hunt after losing a batch of deadly tablets near Newbury.

A canister of 160 ball-bearing shaped pills called Talunex were lost today in transit between Newbury and High Wycombe, so police were alerted.

Insp. Pete Edwards, of Newbury police station, said: “The tablets were lost by a local company engaged in pest control and are they are highly toxic. If they are swallowed they could kill.

“Members of the public should also avoid touching the tablets as they are harmful to the skin.

“If the contained is found intact it should be brought to a police station immediately. If the container appears to be broken the fire brigade should be called first.

Ridgeway refurb

Tory councillors are planning to ban trailbikes and 4x4s from the Ridgeway this winter, newbury.net can reveal. West Berkshire Council’s Liberal Democrat predecessors banned recreational use on the ancient track last winter, and Conservatives are planning to fund more than £100,000 of pothole repairs, which ramblers and cyclists blame on trailbikers.

A council meeting tonight is expected to approve a scheme to put up £6,000 signs banning recreational use between October and April, and to arrange a contribution for Thames Valley Police to patrol the local stretch.