Dudley Indian takeaway fined after rat droppings found last year
Bosses at a Dudley takeaway have been fined £400 after rat droppings were found in the kitchen.
The proprietors of Spices Indian Takeaway in Zoar Street, Lower Gornal, pleaded guilty to three food hygiene offences in court last week over an environmental health inspection which happened in September 2018.
A food hygiene rating of zero out of five was given following the inspection - but the takeaway is now achieving a good rating of four out of five.
During the inspection, rat droppings were found on shelving in the kitchen, under the cooking range and behind refrigerators.
An emergency closure notice was served and the takeaway was shut for eight days while the infestation was dealt with.
At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Thursday, Spices Indian Takeaway Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to keep the premises clean, failing to protect food from a risk of contamination and failing to implement adequate procedures to control pests.
The company was fined £400 and ordered to pay £917.70 in costs as well as a £40 victim surcharge.
Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley Council's cabinet member for environmental health and trading standards, said: "The public have a right to expect the takeaways from where they buy food do not put their health at risk.
"A pest infestation in a food business can pose a serious risk to health and it was therefore necessary to prevent this business operating while remedial works were undertaken.
"It is right the company has now been held to account for the most unsatisfactory conditions found by our inspectors.
"We much prefer to work with businesses to secure compliance with the law, but we will not hesitate to take legal action against the minority of food business owners who fail to meet their legal responsibilities and put the health of the public at risk.
"Nearly half of all food outlets in the borough are achieving the top hygiene rating of five and the vast majority achieve a satisfactory rating of three or more.
"I would urge consumers to check out hygiene ratings online as these will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop."
