A popular restaurant which turns away hundreds of diners is moving to a bigger home.

Award-winning Indian Summer, in East Street, Brighton, is moving next door from number 69 to 70 to fit in 30 more diners.

A total of £85,000 is being invested with eight new jobs in the kitchen, bar and front of house staff, the new venue seating up to 90 diners.

The restaurant is closing its current home on Sunday, May 24, and reopening on Thursday, May 28.

During the busy summer months the restaurant is so popular it is forced to turn away hundreds people every weekend, bosses say.

On Valentine's Day alone, 180 walk-ins were denied a table – with many more unable to book a table online.

Restaurant co-owner Minesh Agnihotri, inset left, said: “Whilst it's nice to be full, turning away so many potential customers, it isn't brilliant business. By moving next door to our existing premises it also means the restaurant will be closer to the sea.”

The restaurant was founded in 2001 by Mr Agnihotri, who gave up a career making medical prosthetics, and Byron Swales, whose family was forced to flee the oppressive Burmese dictatorship in a wooden plane.

Indian Summer is a prime mover in backing Brighton and Hove’s bid to become the Curry Capital of the Year 2015 and was instrumental in helping achieve the runners’ up spot in 2014 – up 13 places from 2013. Indian food lovers can nominate their city my emailing “Brighton” to vote@fedrest.com. Details at www.currycapitalofbritain.org.uk It has won at the Brighton and Hove Food Awards, AA Rosette, Harden’s Food Guide, Open table Best Restaurant, Cobra Good Curry Guide Top 100, BIBA - Best in Britain Awards Top 50 2014.