A worried member of the public previously raised concerns over the beloved Vicar’s Butchers architecture being destroyed, but the council failed to respond.

Graham Bates emailed Tony Page back in 2014 to draw his attention to the risk that the Victorian premises of the former business in West Street, Reading, may be destroyed.

Before the now rat-infested Kenya Meats was up and running, the windows of the establishment were whitewashed and locals worried that the whole façade may change.

Mr Bates said to Mr Page “Although the new proprietors do not propose any change of use, the style of use, Asian meats, will obviously require the frontage at least to be changed if not much of the rest of the premises.”

The front of the store was indeed changed with Kenya Meats covering the beloved Vicars’ signage with a graphic sign board.

Mr Bates spoke to the planning department back in 2014 who assured him no planning application had been received, but said that he still feared alterations would be made swiftly while there is confusion over its protection.

He continued “The shop is as old as the Forbury lion and, I believe, is of historic merit. It is certainly unique in the town and offers a glimpse of how society lived over 100 years ago.

“Furniture of this age would be antique.”

Mr Page responded to Mr Bates’ concerns assuring him that he would be writing to Owen Hayward to clarify issues around the future uses of the shop and would be back in touch once he had more details.

Mr Bates never heard back from Mr Page and the storefront of Vicar’s Butchers was changed completely, leaving many in the town outraged over the destruction of such an iconic façade.

He said “After I pressed the planning department, they said they issued a retrospective planning application, which amounts to little more than a small penalty for the proprietor.

“However, we still don’t know if it was completed nor if it was paid. Neither do we know the name of the proprietor, then or now, if indeed it is different and when it changed hands again.”

This comes as Kenya Meats which now occupies the former Vicar’s Butchers was involved in a hygiene scandal after extensive rat activity was found on the premises.

The council has issued advice to members of the public who may have bought items from the store to refrain from eating any produce and to return to the shop for a full refund.