INDIAN restaurant owner Akki Ahmed does takeways but does not deliver - not even to the end of his street.

But he decided to make an exception when he was asked to take 100 of his speciality Bangladeshi fish dishes to deep in the African jungle, more than 4,000 miles away.

Mr Ahmed of the Ashoka Indian Restaurant in Seaham, County Durham, was asked by high-flying businessman Mustafa Azim to undertake the unusual food run to Bangladeshi armed forces, serving with the UN peacekeeping teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said: “When I first got the request I thought it was a prank. I do get phone calls from dodgy companies, so I was a bit wary.

“But then Mr Azim sent me an email and he came up from London to see me. I said I would love to help and give the troops something to remind them of home.”

Mr Azim, who runs Imperial Aviation Salvage, is borrowing a friend’s helicopter to pick up Mr Ahmed at the nearby Seaham Hall Hotel on Tuesday.

They will fly to London, and from Heathrow Airport they will get a connecting flight to Kinshasa - then a further flight into the jungle, where Mr Ahmed will complete his dishes.

Mr Azim said: “I supply aircraft for film sets and repair or recycle old aircraft said.

“I am travelling to the Congo where my cousin is serving as a squadron leader in the Bangladesh Air Force.

“I am going to look for wrecked aircraft, left over after the civil war, for recycling.

“My cousin asked me if, while I was at it, I could take 100 units of fish curry, because unfortunately home-style cooking is not available there.

“They wanted exotic Bangladeshi freshwater fish dishes.”

He added: “My business partner, Shamsu Miah, of Carpet Direct, in Darlington, comes up to the Ashoka restaurant every week.

“He told me that not only did Akki specialise in Bangleshi fish dishes, he has four dishes, which I have never heard of."  

Mr Ahmed, who flies his fish in from Bangladesh, will prepare 100 ayre fish curry dishes with pilau rice and side dishes of Bombay aloo. He will be be paid £10 per head, with his flights and accommodation forming part of the deal.

He said: “It will be a priceless experience.”