A Watford restaurant has won a national award at the Curry Life Awards in London.

The Indian Sizzler, in Longspring, beat strong competition to scoop the Hottest Restaurant in Hertfordshire at the gala event attended by more than 600 people.

The annual Curry Life Awards celebrate the contribution of the multi-billion pound curry industry, which includes more than 12,000 restaurants in the UK.

Owner Mohammed Atikur Rahman said: “It is wonderful to have won the award and I would like to thank all my staff for making it possible.

"We are always trying to improve on what we do and this will inspire us to keep raising the bar.”

The restaurant, which has a five star rating on Trip Advisor, is the latest in a string of eateries Mohammed has owned.

This year awards ceremony recognised the best 11 curry restaurants and 24 best curry chefs in the UK.

The accolades was also given to a best curry chef in Europe and lifetime achievements award for a restaurateur providing dedicated services to the Curry Industry for 50 years.

Syed Belal Ahmed, event organiser and editor of Curry Life magazine, said: “Indian food has improved dramatically during the past 20 years to the extent that we are now seeing Michelin stars being awarded.

“That is a wonderful achievement and we want our chefs to keep raising the bar because the curry made in this country is unique and has developed independently of its birthplace on the Indian subcontinent.”

Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder and chairman of Cobra Beer, which helps sponsor the event said he was “in awe of what the chefs do” and applauded them for producing “some of the most exotic food in the world at the cheapest prices.”

Chief guest Priti Patel MP, Secretary of State for International Development, said: "The Curry Life Annual Awards ceremony is a great opportunity to celebrate the enormous talent that is on display around the country and the success of the Great British Curry."

Other guests at the event included: Virendra Sharma MP, Paul Scully MP, Wes Streeting MP, Conor Burns MP, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith and Worshipful Mayor of Brent, Cllr Parvez Ahmed.