[Crimson Dynamo]

Owner left bemused when flag in south-east London deemed ‘inappropriate’ for the area

The owner of the Golden Chippy, in Greenwich, south-east London, was left bemused after a design featuring the flag held by a humanoid fish and a slogan saying “A Great British Meal” were allegedly deemed inappropriate for the area.

Chris Kanizi and his staff have had a strong footfall of visitors, including many overseas tourists, since the shop was deemed London’s top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor in 2016.

Painted only a month ago, at a cost of £250, the mural was providing a further boon to his business by giving social media-conscious customers a selfie opportunity. It is not the first time Mr Kanizi, who arrived in the UK in 1977 from northern Cyprus, has fallen foul of Greenwich council with his zeal for celebrating fish and chips.

“It’s just something to put a smile on people’s faces,” he said. “But the council said “this is a preservation area – you can’t have that and you’ve got to paint over it. They also said people had been complaining, but I don’t believe that. Everyone who has talked to me say they love it”.

The shop is located in a 19th-century conservation area.

However, Mr Kanizi has previously pointed to pictures of the corner property from the 1940s, when the premises was a cafe, which included numerous large trade signs.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...ke-down-union/