£1,000 fine for cockroach infested Wolverhampton diner

Hygiene inspectors described the conditions at Express Diner in Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, as some of the worst they had seen, with the pests crawling over work surfaces and cooking utensils.

The infestation was so bad, cockroach traps put out by inspectors in January were full within 10 minutes.

Mohammed Rafiq of Deansfield Road, Eastfield, previously admitted failing to comply with food safety regulations and obstructing environmental health officials in their duty.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court last month, he was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 140 hours unpaid work by Judge John Warner. The case was then adjourned for details of the 40 year old's financial circumstances to be provided for the court.

Rafiq, who has shut the business down and now works as a self-employed taxi driver, told the resumed hearing yesterday(tues7) that the nine years on his outstanding lease on the takeaway were being taken over by somebody else.

He maintained: "I could not get any money out of it all, that is why I have been working on the taxis."

See images of the cockroach infested inside of Express Diner here.

Rafiq still owes £1,475 to Wolverhampton Magistrates Court after being convicted of failing to ensure the safety of occupants at flats above Express Diner, revealed Mr Adam Sheen, prosecuting.

Judge Warner commented: "This shows that you are prepared to make money out of a situation where there are dangers and risk to people."

He added after studying the defendant's bank statement: "From the public's point of view you should pay some of the costs, otherwise they will fall on the city council and, in turn, the citizens of the city."

Rafiq was told to pay the £1,000 costs at the rate of £10-a-week.

Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council's services chief, said after the case: "He was offered the support and advice of our environmental health specialists on a number of occasions to help put things right. Instead, he tampered with evidence and obstructed our investigation at every opportunity.

"We have a robust system in place to assess and review premises that serve food across the city and we also act directly on information from concerned members of the public. In very rare and serious cases, like this one, we will use the full powers available to bring offenders to book and protect the public."

Cockroaches were spotted at the premises as far back as 2012, when it was temporarily closed down in a bid to clear it up.