Damage to sunken Miller & Carter restaurant to be assessed in New Year

The full extent of the damage to a floating Miller & Carter restaurant which began to sink will not be assessed until the New Year.

The steakhouse at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex has been partially underwater since 23 December.

Images showed the replica paddle steamer which housed the restaurant beginning to submerge, and commentators on social media described it as sinking "like the Titanic".

The restaurant said on its Facebook page that it was forced to close due to "structural issues".

Howard Oldstein, director of Lakeside, told the BBC that three or four Miller & Carter team members were evacuated during the incident.

A spokesperson for Miller & Carter said: "I can confirm the restaurant is closed until further notice, but given the time of year it is difficult to assess the scale of the damage at the moment.

"Our immediate priority has been to engage with guests who had bookings over the Christmas period and help them to find alternative options.

"The damage will be assessed in the New Year and we will then have a clearer timescale and can then provide an update."

The paddle steamer was refurbished and opened under the Miller & Carter brand in 2019.

Image: Miller & Carter Lakeside/Facebook