Indian restaurant fined after mouse droppings and gnawed vegetables found

The Little Bengal on Blackwood Road, Streetly, was temporarily closed by council officers following an inspection last February over fears it posed a serious threat to public health.

A sink for staff was also 'unusable' due to piles of tea towels in the way.

Outside bins were over-flowing and Balti dishes were so rusty and damaged they could no longer be suitably cleaned.

Appearing at Walsall Magistrates Court on Monday on behalf of the company which runs the restaurant, Boutique Bengal, Shanif Ahmed pleaded guilty to eight food safety and hygiene breaches.

The company was fined £12,000 and made to pay £2,000 in court costs plus a £120 victim surcharge.

Kerry Munro, prosecuting, said: "Officers saw mice droppings littered throughout the premises during their inspection, amongst a number of hygiene breaches.

"The floor in the kitchen area was dirty, greasy and littered with food debris.

"The first thing they saw was a sink in the food preparation area that was obstructed by a pile of tea towels and so was unusable for the cleaning of hands.

"Droppings were found next to containers used for storing vegetables and there had even been carrots that were gnawed at, rendering them unfit for human consumption.

"The premises was closed by officers, who formed the opinion that the conditions uncovered imposed an imminent risk to the health of the general public."

The court heard that the restaurant was allowed to open two days later after a major investment from management towards new equipment.

It has since gone on to gain a four star hygiene rating however Ahmed said that business had suffered since, with bosses considering selling up.

He said: "The present situation for the business is very poor.

"We are not able to even survive running this business and we do not have the opportunity to sell it, which we would consider doing.

"Since our temporary closure was made public nobody has any interest in buying this business.

"We have turned the restaurant around and it now has a four star rating."

When dishing out the company's fine at court, chief magistrate Brian Benton said: "The offences which you have breached could have seen a much larger fine imposed, however your early guilty plea has helped you."