A popular south Essex floating restaurant is still fenced off more than three weeks after it started "sinking".

Customers were left stunned when the Miller and Carter restaurant at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Grays started to submerge into the lake - just two days before Christmas.

One onlooker described it as "going down like the Titanic".

Echo: The popular steakhouse is still partially underwaterThe popular steakhouse is still partially underwater (Image: Newsquest)

The popular steakhouse started to lean precariously on the morning of December 23 and was closed and evacuated.

Bosses of the chain later confirmed it would be closed until further notice due to “structural issues”.

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A spokesman for the business said after Christmas that an assessment of the structure would take place in the new year.

They said: “Our initial priority has been to update guests who had bookings to dine with us and an assessment of the structure will then follow in the new year.

Echo: Bosses said structural assessments would take place in the new yearBosses said structural assessments would take place in the new year (Image: Newsquest)

“As you can imagine at this time of the year it is difficult to get the specialist help which may be required, so the picture will be clearer in the new year when normal business operations resume.”

When asked this week for an update on whether the structural assessments have taken place yet, a spokesman for Mitchells and Butlers told the Echo: "I’m afraid we still have no further update to share as it is now with the landlord."

Echo: It stopped sinking on Christmas EveIt stopped sinking on Christmas Eve (Image: Newsquest)

Mitchells and Butlers group operate the restaurant.

The iconic boat had appeared to stop sinking on Christmas Eve and was sitting on the water at about a 30 per cent decline.