connection with a fight which cost a man his sight in one eye.

Defending the action of KFC staff after a brawl erupted inside the Queen Street restaurant on Friday evening, company chairman Donald Lines, yesterday contradicted allegations made by the victim, Irin Paynter.

Mr. Paynter, who lost the sight in his left eye following a confrontation with another man in KFC, earlier this week told The Royal Gazette he blamed the company for allegedly failing to ensure his safety.

"I feel that as a customer in their establishment they let me down,'' the 27-year-old self-employed carpenter said. "I should have been safe in their establishment.'' Vowing to sue KFC for negligence, Mr. Paynter claimed that cashiers refused to call for emergency help after he was injured, saying they had to wait for a manager.

While admitting that both the company chairman and president only learned about the incident after it was published in yesterday's paper, Mr. Lines noted that he had investigated the matter and he was adamant that the two managers on duty acted properly and efficiently.

"We did all we could.'' he said. "There were two managers on duty and they were called via the intercom and told to come down because there was a fight and someone had pulled a knife.

"One called 911, while the other went down into the restaurant.

"When the manager realised Mr. Paynter was badly hurt he instructed the other manager to call 911 again for an ambulance, which she did. So we certainly called for help.'' KFC attack But Mr. Lines also took issue with Mr. Paynter's contention that the company's managers should have been more pro-active and asked his assailant to leave once he became loud and unruly.

Mr. Lines noted that the incident took place in a section of the restaurant not visible to the cashiers.

"The incident took place in the western end of the upper dining room close to the bathrooms,'' Mr. Lines explained, "and none of our staff actually witnessed it. The cashiers cannot see over there.

"When the managers found Mr. Paynter he was bleeding quite a bit and they got paper towels and put some ice in a bag to try and make him as comfortable as possible.

"I also understand that an off-duty Police officer left the line to try to offer some assistance.

"We did everything we should have done and our staff would not have known that the managers were making phone calls.

"We want to maintain a family-style environment where people feel safe.'' Police were yesterday able to confirm that the emergency calls were made by KFC employees.