Days after the sumptuous opening of a new Indian restaurant on the outskirts of York at least three people were laid low with suspected food poisoning, it was revealed today.

The opening of the Jinnah Restaurant, which has just been converted at a cost of about £250,000 from the Flamingoland Inn on the A64 Malton Road at Flaxton, was attended by Pakistani cricket hero Imran Khan.

Undercooked chicken was blamed for the food poisoning outbreak which affected at least three people from two different parties. The restaurant is still open for business.

And in a second embarrassment for the Jinnah Restaurant, it emerged today that it has been forced to apologise to Buckingham Palace for using the royal coat of arms.

The palace rebuked the restaurant for using the Royal Arms on its "passport"-style advertising card.

In a letter from the Lord Chamberlain's office, the Jinnah is told: "The Royal Arms are the property of the Sovereign and may not be used without authority and are protected by law."

Owner Saleem Aktar told the palace he was "extremely embarrassed" and had not realised he had offended anyone by using the passport symbol.

He promised it will be removed.

Referring to the food poisoning outbreak, Mr Akhtar said today that he alerted environmental health authorities after receiving a phone call from a woman customer who complained that she and another member of her party had fallen ill as a result of eating there.

Another complaint, he said, was made to the Ryedale environmental health authority which sent in investigators.

"The problem was chicken which had not been cooked adequately. We inherited propane gas which was set for ordinary cooking and not the kind of high pressure needed for Indian food.

"We needed greater pressure and a bigger regulator which we now have and everything is fine. We have been given the all-clear by the environmental health people.

The Bradford-based Jinnah Group has two other restaurants in York, the Viceroy in Monkgate and the Jinnah Balti in Micklegate.

Dr Will Patterson, consultant in communicable diseases for North Yorkshire Area Health Authority said that reports of diarrhoea-type illness as a result of eating at the Jinnah were being investigated to see if there was a link between them. Inspectors were satisfied that kitchen procedures at the restaurant were now "satisfactory."

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