FAST food firms in the Selby area have been told they face tough action if they run illegal fruit machines on their premises.

The warning came after unregistered one-armed bandits were seized from two takeaways in the district during a series of raids by police and gambling bosses.

Tim Grogan, the district council's licensing chief, said the authority will keep a close eye on takeaways and taxi offices to stop revellers being "hoodwinked" out of their cash.

The unlicensed fruit machines were taken from the Castle Takeaway, in Finkle Street, Selby, and in Tadcaster's Tadkebab, in Commercial Street.

They were seized during a large-scale joint operation between licensing chiefs, Selby police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Gambling Commission.

Mr Grogan said: "People should be aware that when they go into these places they are going in to get food. They are not going in there to be hoodwinked into giving their money away.

"Gullible individuals go into these establishments having had a few drinks and pour money into the machines."

Every gaming machine needs to be registered with the local authority under new licensing laws that came into force last year. There are about 250 regulated machines operating in the district.

He said: "Nobody has any idea how these unregistered machines are operated because we have no record of them. All the other machines we have are registered by us, and therefore can be inspected.

"Our message to takeaways is that they should not have these machines. If anyone knows of premises that have them, they should contact me."

He said investigations by the Gambling Commission and police into the seizures are continuing.

Coun Ruth Saynor, chairwoman of the council's licensing committee, said removing fruit machines from takeaways and taxi ranks could help reduce booze-fuelled disorder.

She said: "I personally feel that there should be no gaming machines in taxi offices or takeaways, because we do not want drink-fuelled people hanging around in those areas."

Phill Brear, director of operations at the Gambling Commission, said: "Illegal gaming machines are often situated in premises such as chip shops and takeaways, which are frequented by children.

"These machines are unlicensed and unregulated, and may have had their mechanisms tampered with. This puts the public at risk of being ripped off."

Updated: 09:42 Wednesday, March 22, 2006