A PETITION objecting to plans to open a Burger King outlet in a historic shopping quarter has attracted more than 10,000 signatures in a day.

The fast food branch would occupy the disused ground floor of the former Mariner pub in Clarendon Mansions at the opening of The Lanes in Brighton.

The proposed Burger King would be a 'real blow to local restaurants', according to Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, who spoke to The Argus when we first highlighted the application at the start of the month.

Hours after Brighton resident Liam Hardy’s change.org petition was started, almost 3,000 people had signed it.

By yesterday, the day after people could object to the application, the total had exceeded 10,560 people.

Daryl Satchbury, former franchisee of Burger King’s Aquarium Terraces branch, has applied to install air conditioning units, fridges and freezers on the ground floor of the building.

Mr Hardy said the move to open more chain shops signals an “irreparable slope” into “genericism” that would see a “carbon copy of every other British city”.

The petitioners concerns may not be considered valid planning objections because the building already has permission to be used as a pub and will not need permission to become a restaurant, though it will need permission to sell takeaway food.