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A fish and chip shop has been forced to remove its 100kg picnic benches after police claimed they could be "used as weapons".

The Waterfront Fish Bar in Weston-super-Mare was denied permission to keep the hefty plastic benches outside after officers warned they might be a danger during "high-risk late hours".

Andy Manhire, a police licensing officer, told a council hearing on September 2 that "any furniture that's left can be used as weapons during the high-risk late hours".

He added the benches "could be thrown or moved, thereby causing a danger to pedestrians or vehicles". The restaurant had applied to remove a licence condition requiring its outdoor furniture to be packed away each night, arguing that the benches were too heavy to move.

But instead of relaxing the rule, Liberal Democrat-led North Somerset Council sided with police, and ordered the 100kg benches to go.

Owner Michelle Michael told councillors: "We have been operating the site since 2010 and we have not seen any anti-social behaviour involving the use of furniture."

She added the tables were "not throwable" and pointed out that a nearby bistro with lighter furniture had seen their tables allowed.

Police insisted the comparison was unfair, arguing the bistro was not in the same "flow of drunks" that passed the chippy late at night.

The offending benches have now been removed from outside the shop.