Dudley takeaway owner fined for 'unhygienic' and 'dangerous' breaches
Mr Yasan Laing from Chopsticks on Birmingham New Road had to pay £2,800.
A Dudley takeaway restaurant owner has been ordered to pay more than £2,800 after a visit from Dudley Environmental Health found his premises to be unhygienic and dangerous.
Officers undertook a routine but unannounced inspection at Chopsticks on 15 September 2022 and witnessed poor standards of food hygiene and safety.
Mr Yasan Liang director of Chopsticks, 413 Birmingham New Road, Dudley, pleaded guilty to five food hygiene breaches and one health and safety breach at Dudley Magistrates Court on 13 December.
The team found breaches of food safety and hygiene legislation including evidence of mouse activity, poor cleanliness, damaged and dirty equipment, poor food safety hygiene procedures, and a lack of food hygiene training. The food business voluntarily closed on 15 September due to the presence of an imminent risk of injury to health, because of mouse activity.
During a subsequent inspection the following day, officers also found a breach of health and safety legislation due to evidence that the gas installation at the premises had not been maintained in a safe condition.
The gas supply was temporarily cut off to the premises until remedial action had been taken. The business was instructed to stay closed until the health risk from the mouse activity had been removed.
The court acknowledged that steps were quickly taken to remedy the breaches and that the business had co-operated with the investigation.
However, Mr Liang was ordered to pay a fine of £800, a victim surcharge £320 and court costs landing him a total bill of £2,806.82, to be paid within 28 days.
Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member responsible for Dudley trading standards and environmental health, said: “It is shocking to know about the poor food hygiene standards that were in place at Chopsticks when our environmental health officers undertook a routine inspection last year.
“We take hygiene breaches very seriously and will not hesitate to act against food premises owners who have not taken the appropriate steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their customers.
“This case serves as an example to all food business owners that they must comply with the standards expected of them, or they could face legal action and a hefty fine.”