Too many restaurants are ruining a high street and causing problems for people living in the area, a woman has claimed.

Tracy Edwards, who lives in Whetstone, has spoken out against an application to turn a former shop into another restaurant at 1360 High Road.

Ms Edwards, who lives above a shop two doors down from the site, said she had counted 35 places to eat and drink between Buckingham Avenue and Friern Barnet Lane.

She said: “You can probably eat 80 per cent of the world’s cuisine around Whetstone High Road, yet we have another two shops becoming restaurants.

“It is killing High Road.

“At least we used to have a baker’s and a butcher’s, and proper shops.

“They are putting affordable housing up, yet we only have a Marks and Spencer and a Waitrose – they are not very affordable.”

Ms Edwards lives with her mother, who is in her 70s, and said the large number of restaurants was already causing problems for them.

She said: “The noise in the High Road at two o’clock, rubbish collections at four o’clock in the morning, kicking-out time – it is going to affect our quality of life.

“No-one wants to be woken up by binmen at four o’clock in the morning.

“The council want the business rates – they don’t really give two hoots.”

A planning application has been lodged with the council and is currently in the early stages of consideration.

A Barnet Council spokesman said: “This application is currently under consideration by planning officers.

“Residents and businesses are able to express their views objecting to, or in support of, the application as part of the planning consultation.”