242 Dudley food shops rated 'unsatisfactory' - Eight score zero and three shut down

A total of 242 were given the ratings in Dudley last year, which saw eight ranked as the lowest mark 'zero' and three shut down.

This amounted to nearly 10 per cent of all food premises in the town, where there are 2,438 in total.

The figures were revealed as part of a Freedom Of Information request to Dudley Council.

All 242 food premises were given unsatisfactory food hygiene ratings of two or lower in 2015.

This figure was made up of 83 premises rated as 'two', 151 rated as 'one', and eight premises rated as 'zero'.

Three premises were also closed down using Emergency Hygiene Prohibition Notices, but all later re-opened.

The premises that were served the notices were Dudley Fish & Chicken Bar, Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, which closed closed on May 21 and re-opened on May 27; Pensnett Superstore, High Street, Pensnett, which shut on July 28 and re-opened on August 1, and Panda Paradise, New Street, Dudley, which closed on December 18 and re-opened on December 23.

Food premises are scored by the national food hygiene ratings system, which has six scores in total.

A score of two reveals that 'improvement is necessary', one means that 'major improvement is necessary' and zero that 'urgent improvement is necessary'.

Mr Satinder Singh, who's father runs Pensnett Superstore, said: "We took over about three weeks before it happened. We inherited problems from the previous owners.

"We did address the problems that were going on. The council have been back already and they are happy. There are no problems at all now."

The site of Dudley Fish and Chicken Bar, which is now a Dixy Chicken, is closed. The owners of Panda Paradise were unavailable for comment.

Nick Powell, head of environmental health and trading standards at the council, said: "Food hygiene is extremely important which is why Dudley Council runs the nationally recognised food hygiene rating scheme to help people make an informed choice about where to shop or eat out.

"There are 2438 food premises registered in the borough. Thanks to the work of our environmental health team who investigate, advise and enforce where necessary, 90 per cent of borough food premises are compliant with the law, with nearly half – 47 per cent – rated in the top category of five.

"We work closely with businesses who fall below acceptable standards to help them improve and show them how to provide clean, safe environments for storing, preparing and serving food. For the minority of businesses that don't accept our advice and present a risk to public health, swift enforcement is carried out.

"Ratings for food premises serving the final consumer in Dudley can be viewed online at www.dudley.gov.uk/foodsafety and at www.food.gov.uk/ratings."