£3,000 fine for dirty food shop

Sameela Begum, 23, admitted seven breaches of environmental health regulations as operator of A1 Fast Foods in Limes Walk, Oakengates.

Magistrates sitting in Telford fined her £300 for each count and ruled she must pay a £1,000 contribution to costs - amounting to £3,100.

Mrs Lorraine Fowkes, prosecuting for Telford & Wrekin Council, said officers had made a routine visit to the premises on July 26 last year.

She said they found food waste, dirt, grease and sour milk in several areas of the kitchen and food serving area.

They also found raw chicken stored next to cheese, above salad and next to cold drinks, which risks spreading contamination.

Mrs Fowkes said the seal on one fridge was found broken and "encrusted in mould". Other freezers were also found to be broken, increasing the risk of infection.

"Also the building had not been maintained in good repair - there was a broken electric socket," said Mrs Fowkes.

"And a number of articles were found to be dirty. A seal to a fridge was broken and encrusted in mould.

"There was also evidence of an infestation of silver fish under the stairs where onions were being stored."

Mrs Fowkes said there was a lack of evidence of sufficient pest prevention and, when staff were questioned, they were found not to know about food hygiene.

Mr Robert Hill, mitigating for Begum, who was not in court, said she accepted the breaches and that she was responsible.

But, he said, she had employed a man who claimed to be qualified to run the premises.

Mr Hill said the man had now left and Begum, from Stoke-on-Trent, had taken over the takeaway full-time and cleaned it up. It was now operating within the law.

Mrs Fowkes said a recent inspection showed the takeaway had been cleaned up, although there were some outstanding issues.

By Dave West