The daughter of Harry Ramsden says she is delighted his iconic restaurant is being saved.

Shirley Dillon, who lives in Ireland, says she wishes the Wetherby Whaler group “all the luck in the world” after they stepped in to rescue the restaurant at White Cross in Guiseley.

Earlier this month the group, run by Phillip and Janine Murphy, said it would spend £500,000 to restore the site and make it the flagship branch for its business, which has shops in Wetherby, York, Pudsey and Wakefield.

Mrs Dillon used to help her father in Guiseley, where he first started selling fish and chips in 1928. Along with brother Harry, she received special thanks from her father in 1952, when a crowd of 30,000 turned up for fish and chips, which were being sold at 1928 prices of a penny for fish and a halfpenny for chips. Service lasted until 2am.

The Wetherby Whaler group now wants to restore the restaurant to its former glory and Mrs Dillon has given them her backing.

“I would like to pass on my good wishes to the Murphy family in their venture,” she said. “I wish them all the luck in the world.”

She also thanked Guiseley and Rawdon councillor Paul Wadsworth, who has called for a tribute, such as a blue plaque, at the site to pay homage to Harry Ramsden.

“I’d like to thank Paul Wadsworth for his attempts to perpetuate my dad’s name,” Mrs Dillon said.

Last night, Coun Wadsworth said he would write to the The Wetherby Whaler group, who want to preserve the hut where Harry Ramsden first sold his fish and chips, about installing a plaque.

“I’m looking to write to them and see if we can meet up with them. I’m sure they won’t object to it, it’s just a case of where to site it and the funding of it,” he said.