Takeaway shut by police after women 'find pills hidden in kebab'

The victims, all in their 20s, reported finding tablets in their food after they returned home from Istanbul Grill in High Street, Bognor Regis, at around 2am on Sunday.

A 30-year-old man and a 42-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of administering poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm.

On Monday a 48-hour closure order was issued for Istanbul Grill under Section 76 of the Anti-Social Behaviour & Crime Prevention Act 2014 on Monday on grounds that the operation of the premises has constituted a public nuisance.

Sussex Police have said this is a direct result of the pills incident currently being investigated by officers and an application will be made to magistrates to confirm the order on Wednesday.

District commander Chief Inspector Jon Carter said: ‘This is a concerning matter, and our enquiries are ongoing to examine and identify the tablets, and determine exactly how they came to be in the food.

‘In the meantime, we have taken protective measures by enforcing a closure of the takeaway.’

Police are urging the public to let their officers handle the investigation into the incident.

Ch Insp Carter added: ‘On Monday (30 December), a small number of people gathered in the vicinity of the premises involved to express views based on social media comment about the investigation.

‘While they are entitled to their views, we would urge the public to allow our highly skilled officers to continue with the investigation.

‘We are continuing to work with partners, including the district council, to understand what happened and the motivations of those involved. However, there is nothing to suggest that any other food outlets are involved, or that there is any link with any particular section of the wider community.

‘Local officers remain present in the area, and anyone with any information relevant to our investigation is encouraged to come forward.’

The men who were arrested, both from Bognor Regis, have been released under conditional bail until January 27 while investigations continue.