A Turkish restaurant given a poor food hygiene rating has closed just months after its owner defended its low score.

Notice signs have been spotted in the windows of the Cinar Kitchen in Sittingbourne High Street.

They read: “These premises have been secured by the registered owner.

“Entering this building without the registered owner's permission will be seen as an act of trespassing.

“We will call the authorities and will pursue the prosecution process.”

The announcement comes just 12 weeks after the owner of the business, Baba Coban, hit out at Swale council after his business was marked down due to a damaged ceiling.

The 52-year-old, from Bexleyheath, opened the meze bar at the former Amalfi Italian restaurant in January.

However, following a routine inspection on January 20, the day after our reporter claimed to eat the "best lamb chop of their life" at the restaurant, and an enforcement revisit on February 23, it was slapped with the second lowest hygiene score.

At the time Mr Coban, who has been in the restaurant business with his family since he was 12, claims the inspector took just five minutes to look around.

In tears, he said: "This hygiene rating has absolutely destroyed me.

"I have opened 21 restaurants throughout my career and I even won a national award in 2017.

"The things they flagged didn't have anything to do with rodents, infestation, food safety or hygiene, nothing like that.

"When they came in January they flagged what they didn't like, which included some water damage on the ceiling, a new sink that needed to be installed and some sealing that needed to be done around our extractor.

"When they returned I showed them that we'd made the repairs, just like they'd asked, and yet we still have a one-star rating."

Mr Coban has numerous other Turkish and mezze restaurants across Bexley, London and Essex.

They include the former Abbey Grill, now the Luna Kitchen, in Waltham Abbey, and The Istanbul Kitchen in Bexleyheath – both of which have five-star ratings.

Speaking to KentOnline in March, he said: "I have nothing to worry about with regards to the hygiene and safety of my food.

"They can come here at any time, on any day, they can come every day to see if they want.”

Following the installation of the notices at the restaurant Swale council confirmed that it was recently informed of a change of management at Cinar.

Attempts have been made to contact Mr Coban and the owner of the building.