The owners of a family-run kebab van have been ordered to leave Henlys Roundabout, beside Bath Road in Hounslow, where they have been based for 25 years.

Ahmad Al-Amin and his three brothers were given their marching orders by Transport for London (TfL) after losing a court battle over the ownership of the grass verge opposite McDonald's.

Mr Al-Amin said he and his family had worked since 1989 at the site, at the junction with Great South West Road, where they serve up to 2,000 customers a week.

The Land Registry granted the family the deed to the land in January 2003 but that decision was last month overturned following an appeal by TfL.

Judge Michael Mitchell, of the property chamber tribunal, ruled on July 24 that the title had been issued in error to the Al-Amin family and TfL remained the rightful owner of the land, which constituted part of the public highway.

Mr Al-Amin said TfL had subsequently told him to leave by today (Monday, August 18) or it would begin court proceedings to get him evicted - an order he has ignored.

"This is hard to take after 25 years serving the community. We've never had any complaints and we don't understand why TfL suddenly wants us off the land," said the 55-year-old father-of-three, who lives in Slough.

"This is a business which supports four families and employs eight people. It is only four years since TfL and Hounslow Council approved an expansion to the size of the kiosk."

Check out our taste test to see how the kebab van compares with McDonald's.

Mr Al-Amin added that the tribunal had cost him more than £43,000, with the judge ordering him to pay TfL's costs, and said he could not afford to keep fighting. However, TfL said it had yet to be paid the £23,000 costs it incurred.

He claimed he already had more than 400 signatures on a paper petition calling for the van to be allowed to remain. He has also launched an online petition.

A TfL spokeswoman said: "We have a duty to protect public access to the highway and the van owners, who have no legal right to occupy the land, are trespassing on it.

"The fact that the land forms part of the highway prevents us from granting them a lease and we are therefore seeking the removal of the van."