Three food shops in court for hygiene offences
A sandwich shop in Dudley was forced shut for almost two weeks after health inspectors discovered a rat infestation.
The rats were discovered at Anna's Sandwich Shop in Parsons Street after a customer complained to Dudley Council, said the local authority.
Business owners Madge Withington, aged 62, and Donna Hicken, 51, pleaded guilty to five hygiene offences at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.
The shop was closed for 11 days when pest control was called in. It followed the inspection by environmental health officers in February, 2018.
A thorough clean also took place and it later reopened with a three hygiene rating, which is ranked as 'generally satisfactory'.
The pair were each fined £533 and ordered to pay costs of £376 and £53.
Donna told the Express & Star: "The rats were found in a historic drain which was broken. We share the drain, which is located outside, with a neighbouring business but we didn't know anything about the rats.
"Nothing happened to the neighbouring business but because we are a food establishment, we got done.
"Half of our kitchen had to be pulled apart to get to the drain. It is fixed now but our businesses has taken a hit by this."
Health inspectors also paid a visit to two other shops in the borough.
Dirty conditions were found inside Pizzalicious on Halesowen Road, Halesowen, during an inspection in January 2018.
Inspectors also discovered staff were untrained.
Manager Kiarash Barazesh, 45, pleaded guilty to eight hygiene offences at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.
These included: failing to register the food business and implement a food safety management system; not keeping the premises clean and failing to ensure food handlers received adequate training.
Barazesh was fined £666 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £67.
Dudley Council confirmed the premises is now registered and trading as Peri Licious with a food hygiene rating of two, which is 'improvement necessary'.
In the third case, health inspectors found a dirty wash hand basin and dirty walls and floors at Pak Lok Chinese Takeaway, Manor Lane, Halesowen, in September 2017.
Business owner Wai Lin Yau, 49, pleaded guilty to six offences at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.
Yau failed to implement am adequate food safety management system.
He was fined £1,200 with £2,610 costs and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120. Dudley Council has confirmed that the business is no longer trading.
Councillor Gaye Partridge, cabinet member responsible for communities, said: "We will not hesitate to take legal action against the minority of food businesses proprietors who fail to meet their legal responsibilities and put the health of the public at risk."
