The owner of a chicken shop destroyed by a fire while suspected of trading in breach of a council order is due in court today.

Akhtar Khan is charged with four counts of breaching the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Mr Khan is due to appear at Thames Magistrates Court .

The charges were brought after his shop Wood Street Grill & Chicken was allegedly found to have been trading as a hot food takeaway in August without having permission to do so.

The shop was gutted by fire on October 18 after a deep fat fryer was left on overnight.

No one was injured in the blaze which took firefighters over one hour to bring under control.