They are a much loved late-night snack for revellers as they flock home at the end of a night.

But the future of the kebab is now hanging in the balance, after it emerged that the high street delicacy may be banned from Britain under European Union plans to combat heart disease.

A move by the European parliament to ban the phosphates necessary to keep seasoned kebab meat moist and flavoursome is said to pose a risk to kebabs.

An estimated 1.3m doner kebabs are sold every day in the UK from more than 20,000 outlets, and some 200,000 people work in the industry across Europe.

Ibrahim Dogus, chair of the British Takeaway Campaign, an umbrella organisation that represents fast food groups including the Kebab Association, said: “An EU ban on the doner would damage the takeaway industry - a sector which generates £4.5bn in economic growth to the UK and supports 231,000 jobs.

“Doner kebabs are a much loved staple in takeaways up and down the country and have been enjoyed since the 8th century BC.”