Following a fire in Teddington Fish Bar and an "illegal act" carried out by the landlord, owner John Charalambous says he is "overwhelmed" by the support he has received from the local community.

Charalambous said: "I am overwhelmed by the continuous support, kind words, and well-wishing I am receiving from the local community on a daily basis.

"You cannot underestimate the strength this is giving me at a time of extreme stress and financial strain in my ongoing fight to overturn the outrageous and illegal act carried out by my landlord."

He continued: "This act effectively forced me to cease trading immediately when the Landlord broke in and changed the locks without any prior warning or the right to do so at The Fish Bar Teddington in early hours of the morning on Wed 7th August 2024.

On Tuesday 20 August Charalambous successfully secured and then served a court injunction on the landlord to stop the current situation, and a court hearing is scheduled for Friday 30 August to "hopefully right this wrong," said Charalambous.

Laura Cole, a Teddington local who helped Charalambous raise money to reopen the fish bar following the fire, said: "Again, I would like to reiterate that every time I speak with John he talks about his extreme appreciation and gratefulness for the support he is receiving from the community.

"Let's have faith in our legal justice system to correct this appalling act and that John will once again be serving you all with his Fish and Chips."