A disheartened restaurant boss who braced the biting cold to provide kebabs for the homeless has brushed off claims he is a “show off”.

In sub-zero temperatures, Ali Akpinar trekked from his Minster restaurant to hand out lamb and chicken koftas to those shielding from the weather on Margate seafront.

After posting his good deeds on Facebook, the lion’s share of reaction was well-spirited - but some residents waded in with harsh criticism.

Explaining his actions were altruistic, the Minster Meze and Grill boss says he was saddened by the cynics.

Temperatures had dipped below freezing on that Friday night, with -1c recorded across multiple Thanet areas, while a severe chill gripped the county for more than a week.

One respondent said the 44-year-old should carry out his kind acts “quietly” and without publicity.

Mr Akpinar shot down claims he was trying to boost his image and stressed his interests lie in helping the vulnerable.

“99 percent of people have been really kind”, he explained, adding: “But the one percent of people who have said negative things has hurt me.

“Some people said you shouldn’t be sharing this, you should just do it, but I wasn’t trying to show off – I just wanted to make sure the food wouldn’t go to waste and that those people wouldn’t go hungry.

“I prefer to offer food than money to those who need it. I think it is a nice gesture.

“But I’m not doing it for praise and even without people seeing it on social media, I have and will continue to do what I can.

“When we come into this world we have nothing and we will die with nothing. Giving free food out won’t make me any richer or poorer.”

The group of homeless people had congregated next to the old Primark store seeking shelter from the bitterly cold weather.

Mr Akpinar stayed and chatted to those in the open for a while, handing out fresh free kebabs - with the alternative being to throw them out.

As part of a Facebook post which attracted hundreds of comments, the restaurant offered updates to help reassure people the group was being looked after.

And although he was accused online of “using a good deed for individual gain", his generous acts did not go unnoticed.

Many vowed to order their next takeaway or have their next meal out at the Meze, which has a respectful 4.5 out of five on Tripadvisor.

Dawn Appleby called Mr Akpinar’s team “lovely” and deserving of new custom, while Karen Brazil said he and his staff’s actions were a “very thoughtful and selfless thing to do”.

Mr Akpinar, who has Kurdish roots, moved to England 30 years ago and says he is keen to pay back what he can to people in the country as gratitude for the chances he was given.

Since moving to the UK, the restaurateur has had sites in London including a coveted spot in the hugely popular Covent Garden.

Moving to Thanet three years ago for a quieter pace of life, Mr Akpinar has been able to be more involved in providing meals.

He said: “Even in London, we used to try and do what we could for homeless people and now we are here, it is easier to deliver things in person.

“Some people in life aren’t always able to stand on their own two feet sometimes, I just want to do what I can to help.

“I believe all people are good at heart, and I want to do my bit to help make others happy.

“It is easy to fall into bad ways that didn’t exist years ago, I have had to stop myself at times too.

“You never know, it might cause a chain reaction and inspire others in the community to help where possible.”