The Sidemen: YouTubers warned off own restaurant opening

YouTubers The Sidemen have said they have been warned off attending their own restaurant opening after fears of excessive crowds.

The group, whose members include KSI, boast more than 20 million subscribers.

It was feared up to 10,000 people could turn up to Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley on Saturday for the opening of Sides.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council said the scale of the event meant it would not be safe.

Manager of the group Jordan Schwarzenberger said: "The boys are obviously extremely disappointed to not share this moment with their fans and supporters, but after speaking to the local authorities, public safety has to be our primary focus."

The group said plans were scuppered after Dudley Council said they could be legally responsible if something happened.

Sides, which specialises in fried chicken, already has three restaurants open in Wembley, Croydon and Harrow, but this is set to be their first location outside of London.

They are also opening a fifth branch in Dalston.

Mr Schwarzenberger said: "We have been asked to make it very clear that The Sidemen will definitely not be attending the West Midlands this weekend."

He added that the group was "still incredibly proud to be opening in Merry Hill and creating 40 jobs for the local area".

In a statement, Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: "Recently we were notified of an event that was proposed to take place this weekend at the Merry Hill centre.

"This was likely to attract significant numbers of people due to the celebrity status of some individuals who planned to make an appearance.

"Due to significant safety concerns, and the likelihood that such an event would attract more people than could be safely accommodated at the venue, we deemed the proposed event to be unsafe."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]