A solitary sombrero in the front window is now the only reminder of Ashford's Chiquito restaurant after the site closed for good.

The Mexican chain opened inside the former M20 Nightclub on the Eureka Leisure Park in December 2011, creating 35 jobs.

But the site has remained shut since lockdown and bosses have now confirmed it has permanently closed.

In March, The Restaurant Group, which also owns Frankie & Benny’s and Wagamama, said 61 out of 80 branches of Chiquito would not reopen.

Confirming the Ashford site's closure, a spokeswoman said: "The casual dining sector has faced enormous, well-documented pressures which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the lockdown.

"Unfortunately, we have had to take difficult but necessary decisions to ensure a sustainable future for our business.

"We have been in close contact with affected colleagues throughout this process and we are doing all we can to support them during this time.”

Ashford's Nandos, which operates from the other half of the former nightclub next to Cineworld, remains open, as does the town's Frankie & Benny’s restaurant close to the now-empty Chiquito site.

Elsewhere on the Eureka estate, work on Ashford Cineworld's long-awaited extension is continuing despite the cinema's temporary closure.

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