Chicken fans missing out on their favourite food after KFC closed stores across the country have been urged not to call the police to complain.

The fast food chain was forced to shut 575 of its 900 outlets in the UK and Ireland this weekend as a result of delivery problems, with many set to remain shut this week.

And it seems that rather than dialling the number of another takeaway, some angry customers have been calling the police instead.

The force tweeted from its @MPSTowerHam account: “Please do not contact us about the #KFCCrisis - it is not a police matter if your favourite eatery is not serving the menu you desire.”

Last week, the fried chicken chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, which has since explained that operational issues are the cause of the supply disruption.

Their chicken was previously delivered by specialist food distribution group Bidvest.