Revealed: See inside the rat-infested Tipton buffet restaurant
Pictures showing the scale of a rat infestation have been released after a Black Country restaurant owner was fined £13,800.
Health officials immediately shut down Koi's World Buffet, in Dudley Port, Tipton, after discovering the issue on September 6 last year.
Now photographs, which show teeth marks in chocolate and rat droppings from a shipping container where food was kept, have been released by Sandwell Council.
Other food items, including a bag of strawberry jelly mix, sachet of chocolate and food stuff packaging had been gnawed in the main kitchen and dessert handling area, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Sandwell Council tweeted: "They [hygiene inspectors] discovered out of date food, rat holes around the premises, rat footprints in flour and droppings.
"The restaurant has since closed down - great result team."
Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of Sandwell Council at court, said there were rat droppings in the raw meat and fish preparation area, other parts of the building and a shipping container kept behind the premises used as a dry food store.
Mr Glenn Cook, defending, added: "He is now trying to get out of the mess he put himself in by managing the restaurant."
Wen Cai, the director of Buffet World Ltd, pleaded guilty to eight food and hygiene offences and shut the business for good in July.
The 38-year-old from Dudley Road in Tividale received a 26-week suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £13,800 fine with £5,480 costs.
