Roadside cafe had rodent problem

The owner of a roadside cafe with a "severe rodent infestation" has been fined £1,000.

When Environmental Health officers turned up at Enjay's roadside cafe on the A470 at Llangurig on March 3, they found grease, mould and dirt on the oven and in the refrigerator and rat and mouse droppings on the floor and shelves.

Owner Mary Felstead, 51, of Pant-y-Benny, Llangurig, admitted four food hygiene offences and an unsafe electricity appliances charge at a previous hearing, but appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday for sentencing.

She was fined £200 for each of the five charges and ordered to pay £375 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Nigel Vaughan, prosecuting on behalf of Powys County Council, said Environmental Health officers found the mobile unit in poor condition, with dirt and grease over surfaces.

"There were electrical wires that had been gnawed through and rat droppings over the floor and mouse droppings over the storage shelves," he said.

Mr Vaughan said the officers found a hole in the bottom of the van which would give the rodents easy access.

Felstead told the court she had replaced the unit with a new one and that was being inspected on a regular basis by Environmental Health.

She said that she also possessed a food hygiene certificate and was sorry for what she had done.