A restaurant chain has been told off for selling pints of beer in glasses that were too small to actually contain a full pint.

Birmingham Trading Standards found that two restaurants – which the council has declined to name – were selling drinks in glasses 8.10ml too shallow.

The council seized 41 glasses after a number of complaints and also prompted a nationwide recall of that brand of glass – which it is also yet to name.

Mile Leddy, Labour councillor and member of the Licensing and Public Protection committee, told the BBC: “To come between a man and his pint of beer is one thing, but to come between a man and his short pint of beer is another.

“I commend the department for finding that a number of pint glasses had been made too small, and therefore short measures were being made at certain licensed premises and the way that they instituted, not just a recall from Birmingham bars, but nationally as well.”

A spokesperson for the council added: “It was referred to the relevant body to action and an audit was carried out.

“The supplier and retailer took corrective action to remove all the glassware from use and supply with immediate effect.”

The issue was discovered November but was only revealed in the council’s regulation and enforcement annual report.