A RESTAURANT where seven customers were hurt when the ceiling collapsed is not expected to re-open until Saturday at the earliest.

The Sir Thomas Wyatt London Road, Allington, near Maidstone, has remained closed for safety checks following the incident just after 6.30pm last Friday.

The seven diners were taken to Maidstone Hospital suffering from with minor injuries and shock.

A spokeswoman for the Beefeater restaurant chain, part of the Whitbread Group, said: "The structural engineer has surveyed the building. As a result we have sealed off areas identified as being at risk and are now carrying out remedial work.

"We still can't conclusively determine the cause of the incident at this stage,

"We aim to reopen on Saturday but will not do so until the structural engineer advises that the building is completely safe."

"We have attempted to get in touch with the people injured in the incident but police have been unable to release details under the Data Protection Act. In the meantime we would like to apologise for any injury and inconvenience cause to our guests last Friday night.

"If anyone of them feels they have been seriously incapacitated as a result of the incident we would treat any claims sympathetically."