Costa is moving closer to opening up its FOURTH cafe in Carlisle as the firm looks to capitalise on the city's growing coffee culture.

The company, which has just opened a cafe next to the city's railway station, hopes to take over the vacant Ed's Easy Diner unit in The Lanes.

Earlier this year they stated they were interested in opening up another Carlisle branch but have firmed that up by submitting a planning application with the city council to change the outside of The Lanes store.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: "As the UK’s favourite coffee shop brand and one of the success stories on the UK high street, we work closely with planning departments across the country to open new stores for the benefit of their local communities, creating new jobs and providing attractive and popular social meeting places.

"Costa can confirm that it is in the process of evaluating opportunities in the Carlisle area."

New jobs will be created by the cafe's opening but at this stage it is unclear how many. The cafe at the railway station brought 10 jobs to the city.

David Jackson, The Lanes' commercial director, told the News & Star : "We are in discussions with Costa about securing a unit in The Lanes. We are at the legal stage but as of yet nothing is confirmed."

The diner closed in October last year and was one of 26 branches which shut permanently after the business was bought out by the owners of the 2 Sisters Food Group, which also has ready meal firm Cavaghan & Gray under its wing.

About 15 jobs were lost when the Carlisle diner, a 99-seater restaurant which opened in September 2014, closed.

Costa, which opened in the city in 1998, already has a massively popular outlet at the town hall, as well as a branch upstairs in Waterstones bookshop.

Just outside the city, it has outlets at Southwaite and Todhills services.

Viv Dodd, secretary of the Carlisle City Centre Business Group, said: "Personally, it wouldn't be welcome, I think we have enough.

"I'm in favour of small independent businesses, why we need another Costa I don't know."