For Lawrence Cheng, the arrival of another betting shop in London’s Chinatown district is one more nail in the coffin of the immigrant business community whose colourful, lantern-laced streets have been part of the capital since the 1950s.

“We need another betting shop like we need a hole in the head,” says Mr Cheng, a restaurant owner who serves as secretary-general at the London Chinatown Chinese Association. “Within 60 yards of where you’re sitting there are seven or eight bookies.”

Historically, Chinatowns have been a distinctive feature of many city centres, seemingly impervious to gentrification and constantly rising property prices. But Mr Chen is voicing a fear, felt in Chinatowns from London to San Francisco, that the struggle to keep up with rising rents and other challenges will prompt these vibrant communities to disappear.