£4,000 fine for Mizan Spice takeaway after mouse droppings found
A restaurant where mouse droppings were found last year has been ordered to pay more than £5,000.
Mizan Spice Limited was prosecuted after mouse droppings were found in three locations at the business in Salters Road, Walsall Wood.
The company admitted being in breach of food safety and hygiene regulations, along with company director Mahmud Ur Rahman.
The droppings were found when environmental health officers from Walsall Council carried out a routine food hygiene inspection on June 18 last year.
The officers shut the business immediately when evidence of mice was found in the kitchen, store cupboard and bar.
Droppings were found on a plate in the bar, in a metal bowl in the store cupboard and on expanding foam next to a pipe, also in the cupboard.
The company was deemed an "extremely serious risk to to public health" and was handed a hygiene emergency prohibition notice and order.
But, after working with council officers and a pest control team, the business managed to reopen just three days later and went on to achieve a three-star food hygiene rating in December.
Mizan Spice has a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Facebook.
Fines and costs
The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £970 costs and a £170 victim surcharge when the case was heard at Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 25.
Rahman was fined £500, with £1,017.06 costs and a £50 victim surcharge.
Councillor Garry Perry, Walsall Council's portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, said: “I for one am very glad that we have such dedicated environmental health officers working hard to keep us safe.
"Poor food hygiene procedures can cause terrible illness and suffering – I know this from personal experience.
“It would have been significantly cheaper for this food business to have had proper pest control measures in place and I hope other food businesses take note of the financial penalties involved in this case.
"Although we will enforce where necessary, we will always seek to work with businesses with a commitment to improve and advise them of the standards expected.
“I would always recommend people investigate the food hygiene rating of an establishment and vote with their feet.”
