by Anna White

awhite@thekmgroup.co.uk

A burst pipe dampened New Year’s Eve plans for more than 100 people who had planned to see in 2013 at an Indian restaurant.

When staff at Spice Fusion in Tonbridge Road arrived back at work after the festive break on Thursday, they were greeted with around two feet of water, surging from a leak in the loft.

Owner Kiron Haque had to call customers who had made bookings, including a party of 130 on New Year’s Eve, to say the restaurant would be closed for several months while it is restored.

He said: “The repairs will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. There will be no spare change after it is all done.”

Most of the damage was caused in the lounge area of the building, opened by Mr Haque in 2011.

He owns three other branches of the chain, in Sittingbourne, Chatham and Rainham, and said the 13 members of staff at the Maidstone restaurant will be relocated while repairs are carried out.