A hugely popular restaurant has suddenly closed following an "innocent clerical error" which meant it could not serve alcohol.

The Korean Cowgirl launched in Palace Street, Canterbury, six years ago and is known for its fusion of oriental cuisine with Texas-style BBQ food.

But bosses have confirmed they have shut the branch after being "punished heavily" by Canterbury City Council for making a mistake with its premises licence.

The local authority says it is "keen to work with The Korean Cowgirl to try and get this resolved quickly".

The city council also highlights that the restaurant could have applied for a Temporary Events Notice in order to continue selling alcohol, while awaiting a decision on a new licence application.

But bosses at the eatery - which is rated 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor - say they felt they had no choice but to close with immediate effect.

A statement from The Korean Cowgirl said: "We are deeply saddened to close our Canterbury restaurant after six long years.

"The council have imposed strict restrictions on us and made it impossible for us to deliver the experience we want for our guests.

"We would like to thank all our lovely staff and loyal customers for supporting us over the many years. If we can not do it right we won't do it all."

The city council says The Korean Cowgirl made an error with its premises licence and "did not apply to transfer it when the company that was the holder of the previous premises licence was dissolved, as the law requires".

This meant the licence "has gone and cannot be saved". A new one is now required.

But restaurant bosses say they felt they "didn’t get much support from the council" following the mistake.

The statement continues: "Having paid our license last year, the council still arrived abruptly at our doorstep. We felt this was handled very heavily.

"We were informed that we didn’t have an alcohol license which of course was an error our end but also an error that was missed by the council. As mentioned, we still paid but they didn’t flag this up either.

"They offered us to stay open and just offer food, which of course is something we are not comfortable to do, which of course has now forced us to close."

Those behind the eatery say they hoped the council would have worked with them in "granting some flexibility".

"As an industry we have suffered continually from the impacts of Covid, Brexit and the myriad supply issues and now the spiralling inflation and rising cost of living," they said.

"We have remained compassionate, honest and hard working throughout it all to protect jobs and service the glorious tourism industry both at Palace Street and with the local tourism our Cave Hotel attracts to Canterbury.

"However, the suggestion of operating without the basic provision of alcohol supply is not a sustainable business model and has forced our arm.

"To feel forced into this decision during what is normally the month of the year most businesses rely on to sustain them for the 12 months is deeply troubling.

"This would highlight that this is an innocent oversight, an admin error if you will."

They say they are sure the council also makes the "occasional admin error" and "to be punished so heavily seems counter-productive".

"It is truly sad that this decision has come about in what is our busiest month of the year..."

"We have operated at Palace Street for over six years without issue and have an immaculate record in this regard," the statement added.

"It is truly sad that this decision has come about in what is our busiest month of the year and asked us to in effect cut our operations in half which as a business is just not sustainable."

The Korean Cowgirl's website states it is set to open a new branch at the long-awaited Riverside complex in Canterbury.

Bosses would not comment on whether this is still going ahead.

The Korean Cowgirl also has a restaurant at The Cave Hotel in Boughton - which has the same owners - and is set to open another branch in Camden, London.

Responding to the closure of the Canterbury branch, the city council said: "It's very sad for the city that a popular independent restaurant has made an error with its premises licence and did not apply to transfer it when the company that was the holder of the previous premises licence was dissolved, as the law requires.

"The unfortunate result of this is the premises licence has gone and cannot be saved, which means alcohol cannot be sold. A new premises licence is required.

"We are keen to work with The Korean Cowgirl to try and get this resolved quickly, and have already explained some of the options available to them, as it's not a case of needing to close.

"For the period until we are able to determine an application for a new premises licence, they could use the Temporary Events Notices procedure, or implement a bring your own bottle policy.

"We very much hope this is not the end for The Korean Cowgirl and our officers remain available to give them advice and support so that they can continue to play their part in the city's vibrant culinary scene."

According to gov.uk, when applying for a Temporary Events Notice, "you must apply at least 10 clear working days before your event".