Take-away told to tone down paint

Raj Khan says he wanted to attract more customers to the yellow and green Spice Heaven

The owner of an Indian take-away in Norfolk who painted the front of his shop in the colours of Norwich City FC has been ordered to tone it down.

Raj Khan said he wanted to attract customers to the yellow and green Spice Heaven in Fakenham, Norfolk.

However he claims he did not realise that alterations to the Grade-II listed building were restricted.

North Norfolk District Council said the colours did not fit in with the street and must be changed.

'Little too much'

Conservation design and landscape manager Philip Godwin added: "I appreciate there are other shops, premises, here with some bright colours.

"But I think in this instance, the amount of colour, the whole elevation in this yellow colour is a little too much."

Mr Khan said decorating the front of the building cost him £800 this summer, and he expected to pay a further £800 to repaint in a muted beige.

"We changed everything because the building is plain, it was like there was nothing there," he said.

"So we decorated everything so the building can stand out a bit."