Dead rat and 'sewage smells' lead to food business ban for operator of filthy restaurant
A fish and chip restaurant operator has been banned from managing a food business after inspectors found dead rats.
Joginder Paul, from Reform Street in West Bromwich, ran a restaurant near Blackpool seafront.
When food hygiene inspectors from Blackpool Council visited Mickey Finns on March 17 2022, they found a rodent infestation, rat droppings across the floor and "foul sewage smells", before discovering a dead rat behind a freezer.
The business was closed immediately with officers deeming there was an imminent risk to health.
Explaining what officers found, Blackpool Council said: "Officers found a large amount of rat droppings to the basement of the establishment, which was being used for food storage and preparation.
"Potatoes were found to the floor of the basement, offering a food source, and damage was found to the fabric of the building, giving points of access to the pests.
"A waste pipe to the toilet facilities in the basement was also not capped correctly, again allowing for access through the drainage system, but also resulted in foul sewage smells entering the basement."
Paul, 48, admitted seven food hygiene offences in October and was sentenced at Blackpool Magistrates Court last month.
He was fined £1,314, costs of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £130. Magistrates also ordered that he be prohibited from managing any food establishment, which was described by the court as "proper in all circumstances", and: "These offences alone justify the imposition of the order because of the seriousness of the offences and for the protection of the public."
The ban will be in place until an application by Paul to lift the order is granted.
Blackpool Council said that as the man responsible for the business, Paul had received multiple warnings over the years but failed to take heed.
Councillor Neil Brookes, the authority's Cabinet Member with responsibilities for Public Safety and Enforcement, was pleased with the outcome, saying the council would "tolerate such a blatant lack of regard for the safety of its residents and visitors, and the sentence awarded is reflective of that".
The restaurant in Central Drive was allowed to reopen two weeks later on March 31 after extensive maintenance work to the basement, and multiple visits from a pest control contractor.
