A COUPLE who promised to add Caribbean spice to a fish and chip shop have mysteriously vanished, leaving debts of more than £1,000.

After just eight weeks behind the counter at Sandylands Chippy, Kendal, Tom and Joanna Austin shut up shop without explanation.

It was business as usual at the chip shop, at Langdale Crescent, this week when it was reopened under new management.

However, mystery surrounds the whereabouts of the Austins, who moved to Britain from the Caribbean island of Trinidad in March this year.

Neighbours at Kilner Close, where they rented house No 2, are baffled by the couple's disappearance.

Mark Lester, letting manager at Cumbrian Properties - agent for the house-owners - told the Gazette the pair had posted back the house keys in a Jiffy bag on September 4.

He said they owed the company almost £400, but he did not intend to pursue the debt.

"I strongly suspect they have left the country," said Mr Lester.

Another debtor is owed more than £700.

Sue Reid, who owns the Sandylands Chippy property, had no idea where the Austins were.

She said they had seemed like "a nice couple," and it was a shame their business venture had ended that way.

"It ended as quickly as it started," she said.

Mrs Reid believed the Austins had been missing their dogs, which they had to leave behind in the Caribbean.

The Westmorland Gazette contacted the businessman who owns the lease on the chip shop, but he did not wish to be quoted.

Back in August, Mr and Mrs Austin were interviewed by the Gazette's food writer, Gillian Cowburn.

They explained how they met and married in London 12 years ago, then moved out to the Caribbean for ten years.

Mr Austin said he was Barrow-born, while Mrs Austin is from Trinidad.

The couple talked about their hopes of attracting a wide range of customers with Caribbean dishes such as Barbados beef, Tobago lamb and cornmeal dumplings.

The Sandylands Chippy was reopened this week by John Smithson and a colleague, after being closed for two weeks.

The pair intend to run the shop for a month or so - longer, if business takes off.

"It's been pretty steady," said Mr Smithson.

"I think once word gets round the housing estate again, it will be all right."

The Westmorland Gazette made repeated efforts to contact Mr and Mrs Austin on their mobile telephone, but the couple were unavailable.