Owner of 'filthy' rat infested Leeds sandwich shop handed suspended sentence
Emma’s Sandwich Shop on Wortley Road in Armley has also been shut down
A rat infested sandwich shop in Leeds has been shut down and its owner handed a suspended sentence.
Emma’s Sandwich Shop on Wortley Road, Armley, was found to have serious food hygiene failures, including filthy floors and food storage areas.
Leeds City Council inspectors found rats had been gnawing at food containers, with one of the creatures being seen running behind a fridge.
A sink used for washing hands also lacked hot water.
Proprietor Dawn Smith admitted 14 food safety offences, as well as breaching a closure order.
She was handed a 16 month suspended sentence on February 28 after failing to turn up at Leeds Crown Court twice, and having a warrant issued for her arrest.
She has also been banned from running a food business and will have to complete 25 days of rehabilitation.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “Our officers took swift action against this business as soon as it became clear there was an imminent risk to public health.
“These are incredibly serious offences and the operator’s repeated failure to improve standards and comply with improvement notices show a flagrant disregard to food safety.
“I’d like to thank the environmental health officers for their hard work in prosecuting this case and preventing this operator from managing any food business in the future.
“It is absolutely vital that food businesses are kept clean and in good repair in line with stringent food safety legislation. A failure to do so could potentially result in terrible consequences for the public and we will always take action against any owners not abiding by these laws.”