A scathing review of the UK's largest Wetherspoons has prompted a social media storm.

Marina O'Loughlin, a restaurant critic for The Sunday Times, made her first visit to the pub chain, eating at the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, which opened earlier this year.

Describing the cocktails as tasting "like Calpol", she also lays in to the ribs which were "like something from Hannibal Lecter's recycling bin".

She recalls witnessing a man eating a 2,513 calorie meal of pepperoni pizza, chips and onion rings and goes on to liken her scampi to "stiff orange coffins emitting a fishy goo".

The 1,400 capacity pub, which opened its doors in August, is described as "sucking the life out of other businesses like a giant cosmic hoover".

But people have leapt to the defence of the beloved 'beer and burger' haunt which offers a cheap feed.

That has not escaped Ms O'Loughlin's critique however as she explains: "It's cheap not because it's good value but because it's nasty."

She tweeted her 49,000 followers after visiting, saying: "Have you ever eaten in a Wetherspoons? I now have. Oh. My. God.

"Don’t for God’s sake order the food," she wrote before adding she was "still getting over the trauma."

One said in response: "Spoons has issues but the cheap comfort food isn't one."

A second said: "Predictably snobby. At least people can now eat there in peace knowing she's not observing with a wry eye nearby."

But there is support for her views, with one person saying: "So so good from @MarinaOLoughlin on the horror of trying the ‘food’ at Wetherspoons."

Another added: "This made me laugh and laugh. And saved me a fact-finding mission of my own. Thank you!"