SINGAPORE - Five women were trapped for nearly an hour in the KFC outlet at Novena Square late on May 29 after staff locked up without realising they were still around.

KFC said it has apologised to the customers over the incident and followed up with them.

One of the trapped customers was housewife Jessica Chan, who said they did not realise anything was amiss at first because the lights were still on where they were seated.

It was only when Madam Chan caught sight of the dark kitchen and closed shutters of the store at about 10.45pm that she realised they had been locked in.

They managed to draw the attention of a group of Ngee Ann Polytechnic students passing by, who alerted mall security. But the security personnel did not know who to contact at KFC. Eventually, the police were called, said Madam Chan.

The women managed to get out through a back door in the kitchen shortly after 11pm, before the police arrived.

Replying to The Straits Times on the incident, KFC said: "We have... reinforced internal protocols to all our restaurants to ensure dining area is cleared prior to closure of the restaurant."