Club owner Stephen King in talks with RBS over BBC building

GLASGOW nightclub owner Stefan King is believed to be interested in acquiring the crumbling former BBC Scotland headquarters in the west end of the city.

It is understood the multi-millionaire behind the Corinthian and Arta in the Merchant City area is in talks with Royal Bank of Scotland, the owner of the former college that was converted for use as a broadcasting centre in 1936.

His plans, if confirmed, were unknown, but he has previously attempted to open a nightclub in the nearby Botanic Gardens.

The BBC site was acquired for housing and a hotel before the BBC quit the site in 2007 and moved to purpose-built offices and studios on the south side of the River Clyde.

It was bought out of administration two years ago by West Register Investments, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland, which has owned the site ever since.

The owners have been trying to find a buyer and a source claimed that King was "far down the line". He has opened numerous bars, clubs and cinemas in the city, notably the Corinthian, based in a former courthouse, and Arta in the old cheesemarket.

His interest in the former BBC Scotland base follows his controversial attempts at opening a nightclub in a long-abandoned railway station in the Botanic Gardens fronting the Great Western Road.

He was said to have had support for the project from the former leader of the city council, Steven Purcell. It was rejected after a long campaign of opposition.

Opponents included the actors Robert Carlyle and Bill Paterson; Still Game stars Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan; Belle and Sebastian singer Stuart Murdoch; and writer Alasdair Gray who joined forces with botanists, residents and business people.

King's first venture, KwikTravel, went bust in the early 1990s but he went on to own a number of venues in the popular Ashton Lane area and his leisure empire now embraces about 200 properties.

Queen Margaret Medical College was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1890 and was the world's first medical college for women until its pre-war conversion for the BBC.

Since the corporation departed the building has lain empty and has fallen victim to vandalism. Thieves have stripped lead and copper from the building and there are concerns over its long-term future. West Register Investments said there was now 24-hour on-site security at the site.

No-one was available at King's G1 group to confirm or deny King's interest. Royal Bank of Scotland was also unavailable for comment.