A VISITOR has slammed Felixstowe for it's rude shopkeepers and sub-standard food.Derek Chaston, 70, from Thanet in Kent, said he was horrified and appalled when he tried to find a place to eat during a two-hour visit.

A VISITOR has slammed Felixstowe for it's rude shopkeepers and sub-standard food.

Derek Chaston, 70, from Thanet in Kent, said he was horrified and appalled when he tried to find a place to eat during a two-hour visit.

He has now vowed to stage a reunion, which he had intended to hold in Felixstowe, elsewhere and has warned others to avoid the resort.

But the town's chamber of trade has fought back and claimed that Mr Chaston was too hard to please and that Felixstowe had much more to offer.

Mr Chaston visited Felixstowe on August 5 to find a venue for a reunion of ex-national service men, based in the town between 1950 and 1952.

The retired self-employed financial adviser went in to a fish and chip shop on a side street off Hamilton Road but was refused a meal as they were closing.

This annoyed Mr Chaston because he expected the shop to have the same policy as a restaurant in his home town where he was allowed to stay for a meal after closing time.

The pensioner became irritated and walked away. He then asked a policeman where the nearest fish and chip restaurant was, but the policeman could not help him because he was new to the area.

Becoming less and less impressed with the resort he walked to The Alex, in Undercliff Road West, discovered fish was on the menu and sat down for a £9.99 meal.

But when it arrived Mr Chaston was appalled.

He described the meal as two old bits of skate, with boiled potatoes and salad, which had too much oil on it and said the ketchup had been slapped down on the table.

"In all my time, it was the worst meal at the highest price I can remember.

"No wonder Felixstowe looked bloody empty with people," he said. "I was consciously looking to various places for the reunion but now I'm adamantly going to see we don't go to Felixstowe."

Roger Hewitt, chairman of the Felixstowe chamber of trade, said: "It sounds like some one who is very difficult to please. It's unfortunate, no one likes to have a comment like that.

"People love Felixstowe, it has a lot of family businesses which give a very good service.

"We have many people who come to Felixstowe and keep coming back."

Tim Yeo, manager of The Alex, defended the restaurant and said he lived in Felixstowe and liked what was on offer including the beaches, seaside and promenade.

He said that to criticise the resort so harshly must have meant that Mr Chaston lived in a perfect place.