The owner of a chicken shop destroyed by a fire while suspected of trading in breach of a council order has failed to attend court.

An arrest warrant was issued by Thames Magistrates' Court after Akhtar Khan failed to attend court on Friday.  

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

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 an hour to bring under control.