Allergy sufferer speaks out after takeaway with nuts landed him in hospital

Tony Locke ordered a Modhu minty lamb aloo from Rosehill Balti and Takeaway on February 8, 2019.

The 41-year-old from Hednesford explained that he had a nut allergy and the dish could not have nuts in it.

But after returning home with the meal and after having just two forkfuls of the dish, Mr Locke suffered a severe allergic reaction and ended up in hospital.

He said: "It was a scary experience. It's not the first time it's happened, I had the same symptoms when I was a lot younger and it's not a pleasant experience.

"To be given something which you know shouldn't contain nuts and then to find out that there was nuts was a very scary experience, I was very fearful that the worst was going to happen.

"I was in hospital for two or three hours."

Mohammed Badrul Islam, the owner of Rosehill Balti and Takeaway was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on June 18 for offences relating to selling food that contained peanuts which was described as being free from nuts and peanuts.

Curry powder

The case was reported to Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service, which made a test purchase of the same meal on March 13, 2019. Following testing by a specialist team, the curry powder in the dish was found to have nut powder in it.

Islam, of Broadway, Walsall, told the court he did not know that the curry powder that was being used as part of the ingredients for the dish sold to Mr Locke contained nuts. He said nuts were not an ingredient that he expected or knew to be present in the curry powder.

The 55-year-old accepted that it was his responsibility to ensure that a nut-free dish was exactly that. He also expressed regret and remorse that Mr Locke suffered an allergic reaction that necessitated the need for him to attend hospital.

The court ordered Islam to pay Mr Locke £1,000 in compensation as well as to pay a £115 victim surcharge and carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work.

The limited company running the business was also fined £3,000 and was ordered to pay £250 costs.

Islam pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier court hearing on December 2, 2019.

Mr Locke added: "The outcome of the case was very positive. It's going to make people more aware and I hope that it's prevented someone else from going through the same experience."