AN AMESBURY takeaway has hit back at a video shared on social media that appeared to show a staff member chopping meat on the floor of the restaurant's courtyard.

***UPDATE: December 18, 2018: Wiltshire Council hygiene inspectors clear Chan's Chinese Takeaway of any wrongdoing after video of woman chopping meat outside***

The video, uploaded today, shows a courtyard of Chan's restaurant, in The Arcade, Earls Court Road.

A woman is chopping meat on a board placed on the floor of the outside yard in front of a wheelie bin, and bagging it.

A piece of meat that falls directly onto the floor is also placed in the bag by the staff member.

But a spokesman for the takeaway said the video had been "taken out of context".

"It was filmed while [the owner] was chopping waste, which needed to fit in the bin," they said.

"It was being bagged up so it could fit.

"The person [who uploaded the video] didn't film that she [the owner] then put it in the bin.

"We're only a small business and that's just how it was."

A spokesman for Wiltshire Council said: "We are aware of video footage that appears to show unsatisfactory food preparation of a takeaway business in Amesbury and our Environmental Health Officers are commencing an immediate investigation."

***UPDATE: December 18, 2018: Wiltshire Council hygiene inspectors clear Chan's Chinese Takeaway of any wrongdoing after video of woman chopping meat outside***

Chan's was list inspected by the Food Standards Agency in October, in which it received an overall food hygiene rating of 'good'.

An officer found that the takeaway's management of food safety and cleanliness were 'good', and that its hygienic food handling was 'generally satisfactory'.