The Aroma coffee house name is to disappear from UK High Streets, after Caffe Nero agreed to buy the chain from food giant McDonalds.

The �2.15m purchase was an "important strategic move", Caffe Nero chairman Gerry Ford said.

"It gives the group a quantum leap in increased scale on the High Street and accelerates the expansion of our brand considerably," Mr Ford said.

While the 31-site Aroma chain made an operating loss of �3.7m last year, it should, after a "brief period of conversion", make an "important contribution to Caffe Nero profits", Mr Ford added.

Caffe Nero estimated it would spend a further �140,000 on lay-offs at Aroma head office, with further cash spent on retraining staff and rebranding Aroma bars.