London chip shop owner vows to keep Union Jack mural

The local council have told him to get rid of the mural

Chris Kainzi is the owners of the Golden Chippy, in Greenwich. On the side of his shop is a painting of a fish in a bowler hat and bow tie holding a Union Jack, next to the words "A Great British Meal."

But he has been told to get rid of the painting by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, who said the mural was painted without permission and that it was near a World Heritage Site.

Kanizi has no plans to remove the painting and is taking legal advice about appealing the decision, the BBC reports.

He explained that he painted the mural after the council ordered him to remove a 18ft hoarding above his shop door, which depicted the same patriotic scene.

In a statement, the Royal Borough of Greenwich said its objection to the mural had nothing to do with the Union Jack or what the picture showed, and was instead because it was unauthorised.

It said: "The advert has been painted without any permission in a conservation area close to a World Heritage Site.

"The council is acting according to the government planning laws as it would with any unauthorised advert.

"Any suggestion this is because of the Union flag is disingenuous and untrue."

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