A Kent entrepreneur has called on the government to clamp down on fake invoices that could be costing firms millions of pounds.

Kiron Haque, owner of the Spice Fusion chain of restaurants in Medway, Maidstone and Sittingbourne, applied for a trade mark from the government's Intellectual Property Office.

Soon after publication in a trade magazine, he received what looked like an official invoice from the European Institute for Economy and Commerce (EIEC), which claimed to be a patent registry.

"We knew we had not made any other applications and it was only when we looked more closely that we had doubts about its authenticity," he said.

Mr Haque, who has alerted local MPs, said it was clear the authorities were aware of the organisation.

"What I cannot understand is that the EIEC has a bank account and an address in Brussels so why hasn't anyone put a stop to their activities?"

A Medway Council spokesman said: "Medway Council's Trading Standards team would always urge businesses to be cautious whenever they are approached by unknown businesses or official looking agencies demanding they pay unexpected invoices."