KFC branches in Suffolk and Essex were among hundreds in the country forced to close over the weekend – due to a chicken shortage.

The fast food company said it had experienced “teething problems” with a new supplier, and signs were put up at various branches around the region.

Cardinal Park and Bury Road KFC in Ipswich were closed due to the issue, which was dubbed #chickengate by some social media users.

Branches in Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, and Anson Road, Martlesham, remained open – but both were forced to turn customers away over the weekend due to the supplier problem.

The Bury St Edmunds branch, in Parkway, was also closed at the weekend and a sign on the door read: “We deliver our chicken fresh into our restaurants, but we’ve had a few hiccups with the delivery today.

Ipswich Star: KFC in Cardinal Park was closed due to a chicken shortage. Picture: ARCHANTKFC in Cardinal Park was closed due to a chicken shortage. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

“We wouldn’t want to open without offering our full menu, but we’ll be back at the fryers as soon as we can.

“Apologies for any inconvenience.”

Closures were also reported in Braintree, Lowestoft and Cambridge, with many others operating on a limited menu.

Nationally, branches in Bristol, Berkshire, Cheshire, Devon, Newcastle and Surrey were also all affected.

Ipswich Star: KFC in Bury St Edmunds is also currently closed. Picture: ARCHANTKFC in Bury St Edmunds is also currently closed. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

A KFC spokesperson said: “We’ve brought a new delivery partner on board, but they’ve had a couple of teething problems – getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants is pretty complex.

“We won’t compromise on quality, so several of our restaurants in the UK are either closed, have a reduced menu, or shortened hours over the weekend.

“We want to thank our incredible restaurant teams, who are working flat out all hours to get us back up and running again.”

A tweet from the fast food chain added: “The Colonel is working on it.”

Ipswich Star: KFC in Bury St Edmunds is also currently closed. Picture: ARCHANTKFC in Bury St Edmunds is also currently closed. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

People took to social media to vent their frustration at the issue, while some also made light of the supplier problem.

Andrew Penfold said: “I think the Colonel should be demoted to Sergeant.”

Adam Thorpe said: “Bad times for a KFC lover here in sunny Ipswich.”

While Bee Giles tweeted: “Every cloud has a silver lining. Bin those calories.”