Calls made to expose 'appalling' food businesses in Walsall with public ratings

Walsall Council will write to government ministers calling for ‘scores on the doors’ – which rate cleanliness of businesses out of five – to be made mandatory.

The authority’s cabinet approved the Food Law Enforcement Service Plan which highlighted work that has been carried out across the borough in the last 12 months.

Councillor Garry Perry, deputy leader for resilient communities, said the small team was dedicated to carrying out the work and had even issued notices on two premises which had cockroach and mice infestations this week.

He said, during 2022/23 two businesses had been closed for rat infestations, more than 100 bottles of counterfeit Yellow Tail wine seized and hundreds of out of date food removed from shop shelves.

The enforcement team also carried out 160 targeted inspections following concerns raised by members of the public, four health and safety prohibition notices served and 314 complaints about hygiene received.

Councillor Perry added the work was having a positive impact as the satisfaction rating for food hygiene standards had gone up from 75 per cent to 92 per cent while the number of businesses in the ‘very good’ category more than doubled from 328 in 2013 to 768 now.

From 75% to 92% of satisfaction rating for food hygiene standards, the number of businesses that are now in the very good category from 328 in 2013 to 768 now.

Councillor Perry said: “It’s absolutely appalling. Words do not describe the activities that our public protection team undertake in relation to food hygiene.

“It’s a serious piece of work for the organisation. This could have had life changing consequences. The pictures are sickening.

“I will not rest until I see ‘scores on the doors’ mandated. I know we’ve written to ministers before and had many promises.

“Yes there are economic negatives to having hygiene ratings displayed because you may not choose to use them if they are below a three.

“But what I would want for me is what we should all want for our residents.

“Unless we mandate scores on the doors, how will we know that premises is clean, conforms to the legislation and you’re not going to walk away with something rotten.”

Council leader Mike Bird added: “People’s lives out there are being protected by the officers who go out there investigating these infestations of cockroaches, rodents and everything else that goes with that.

“Not only that they are taking counterfeit stuff off the shelves. Only this week I saw a business in the town prosecuted for selling vaping material to a 15-year-old.

“These people need to know, they are not going to get away with it. We are there and the results are telling.”

A recommendation was made for officers to write to Government to reconsider making the display of food hygiene ratings to be made mandatory.