A Japanese steakhouse has closed after a powerful hallucinogenic drug found in its soy sauce put seven customers in hospital.

Police in Pace, in Santa Rosa County, in the US state of Florida, say the mind-bending drug methamphetamine was found in the seasoning.

Local media reported that seven customers were rushed to hospital from Nikko Japanese Steak And Sushi Bar on 10th June suffering from terrifying hallucinations.

Police scientists found the drug in two bottles and several unopened packets of soy sauce.

They also found that food at the restaurant tested positive for methamphetamine.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said: “You get scared obviously.

“It worries you that somebody may be tampering with food service and things of that nature.”

No charges were filed because the police were not able to determine who had contaminated the food.

The restaurant’s owners reportedly said they were “unable to sustain the cost to stay open.”

They blamed unflinching criticism on social media for their closure saying they had been “brutally harassed”.

The owners said on social media: “We have been investigated, searched, and questioned while fully cooperating at all times. That’s all we could do.”

They added: “Today, a family-owned and operated business is closed, 20 employees are out of work, all because of the power of social media.”