CHINESE restaurant bosses have gone prawn crackers after a marketing blunder cost them an estimated £100,000.

Wokmania, in the Gate leisure complex, in Newcastle, sent out leaflets offering a free buffet meal to graduates in the city.

But the marketing material's smallprint failed to limit it to one meal or to graduates, meaning any student with a union card can eat free there until August 31 if they have a meal alongside a paying adult.

Bosses have decided to bite the bullet and honour the mistaken promotion, which is expected to cost more than £100,000.

Restaurant manager Steve Woodward said: "It is just one of those things I guess. We should have read our own smallprint better. We will take a hit but, hopefully, people will be happier for it."

Wokmania owner Richard O'Connor said: "Wokmania has always been popular with students in Newcastle, so we wanted to give them something back to thank them for their patronage during their time in the city.

"The idea was that they would bring the family with them on graduation day, eat for free, and leave feeling good about Wokmania.

"Unfortunately, a slip-up on our marketing meant that any student in the city can claim the free meal all summer."