Some fast-food shops have continued to serve customers face-to-face past the 10pm national curfew and risk fines if they continue to flout the rules.

Gravesham council's environmental health team watched staff take orders over the counter past 10pm last Friday.

Government guidelines state takeaways, restaurants and cafés must close their doors to the public by 10pm.

Making deliveries after that time is still allowed.

Gravesham council leader, Cllr John Burden, said: "On Friday evening our environmental health team was out across the borough monitoring how the 10pm curfew is being observed.

"What became apparent was that some takeaway businesses were continuing to offer a counter service after 10pm in contravention of the latest legislation, which allows for delivery services to continue but not for outlets to be open for customers to walk in.

"We are taking the viewpoint that this is because of ignorance of the law rather than a disregard for it and will be working with businesses to help them understand the new rules and how they apply to them.

"These businesses, as with many others, have found trading tough this year and we want to help and support all our local traders to recover.

"However, while we view enforcement action as a last resort, if particular venues continue to break the curfew having been visited by our officers and reminded of their responsibilities, we will have no alternative but to issue penalty notices."

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