Curry house boss fined over mouldy food

The boss of a Wolverhampton restaurant and takeaway where food was stored in a cellar that was in an "appalling state" has been fined £5,500.

Out-of-date cheese and moulding peppers were discovered when environmental health officers visited The Standard tandoori, in Cleveland Street.

District Judge Graham Wilkinson told owner Altaf Hussain if customers had seen the terrible state of his cellar they "would have run a mile before consuming anything sold on your premises".

Hussain, aged 55, of Cleveland Street, pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday to five charges including breaching food hygiene standards and having unfit food.

Ms Jacky Bramley, prosecuting, said of an inspection on March 10: "The cellar had no door to provide a barrier to the outside, only a piece of fabric on a rail.

"There was damage around a manhole cover and a broken drainage pipe that gave rodent access direct from the drain. In the fridge in the kitchen there were two packets of cheese that were from February 7 and 24.

"There was a mouldy piece of green pepper and two perished green peppers."

Mr Richard Quinn, defending, said Hussain was semi-retired and the management of the food business had been taken over by his sons.

But District Judge Wilkinson said: "One only had to look at the appalling state of your cellar to know that had any of your customers seen your cellar they would have run a mile before consuming anything sold on your premises."

Hussain was fined for one count of having food unfit for human consumption, one count of selling food past its sell-by date and three counts of contravening food hygiene regulations.

He must also pay £1,695 in legal costs.