A BURNLEY pizza takeaway has proved it is hot stuff by taking a major award in a national competition.

Ishrat Mehdi, owner of Santa's Pizza, in Colne Road, is of Pakistani descent and adds Asian spices to Italy's traditional favourite food.

His best seller is a chicken chilli pizza, which he describes as quite hot.

The hot chicken has helped him prove he is tops for pizza --well almost -- after being named runner-up for the title of Pizza Delivery-Takeaway of the Year.

The award was announced at the annual awards dinner of the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association in London.

Ishrat said: "This was the second year we had been nominated by our customers but we did not expect to do so well against such stiff competition."

The Burnley shop beat hundreds of other pizza takeaways to join a shortlist of only six before the final judging and announcement of the awards at the Paragon Hotel in London.

"It was a wonderful eveningm with entertainment by Ruby Wax," said Ishraat. "We are determined to nominated again next year and, who knows, next time we might come tops."

Santa's Pizza got its name in bizarre circumstances.

The then owner ordered the sign over the phone, asking for it to read "Pizza Centre".

Ishrat said: "His English was not too clear and the sign makers misheard the word 'centre' as 'Santa'. The sign cost around £500 so he decided to keep it and I kept with it when I took over the business eight or nine years ago."

After leaving Burnley College, Ishrat went on to university to study business and finance.

He said: "I had worked at the shop as a courier/driver and I could see a lot of potential in the business. People always want to eat. Now we include Asian spices in some of the pizzas and they are popular with both the Asian and white communities, with chicken chilli being top of the pops."