The proprietors of three food outlets in the Dudley borough have landed court bills after inspectors discovered a series of hygiene problems.

Proprietors of a restaurant, a takeaway and a public house pleaded guilty to offences under food hygiene and safety regulations at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on 19th January.

Bosses at Stourbridge based 'Tropical Balti' pleaded guilty to six offences, following an inspection by food safety officers from Dudley Council in February last year. These included failing to implement an adequate food safety management system, failing to keep the premises and equipment clean and in good repair, failing to protect food from contamination and failing to ensure that food handlers wore clean protective over clothing. The restaurant received a hygiene rating of zero. Parent company, Tropical Balti Ltd, were fined £5,000 and ordered to pay Dudley Council costs of £1,250 and have been given a victim surcharge of £170.

In a separate case, Nasar Hussain, the proprietor of Prego Pizza takeaway in High Street, Kingswinford pleaded guilty to 11 offences including failing to implement an adequate food safety management system, failing to keep the food premises and equipment clean and in good order and repair and failing to protect food from a risk of contamination.

The court heard that when food safety officers carried out an inspection of the premises in July 2015, they found that food was being stored in the toilet lobby, that the hand wash basin in the kitchen was not available and that changing facilities for food handlers were inadequate. A hygiene rating of one out of five was given. Hussain was fined £1,600 and ordered to pay costs of £1,250 as well as a victim surcharge of £160. Dudley Council have pointed out that Hussain has since left the business which is now run by a different proprietor.

In a third case heard by the court on the same day, Jennifer Austin, the licensee of Picks in High Street, Halesowen pleaded guilty to two offences relating to rat activity in the beer cellar, which was discovered when food safety officers carried out a routine inspection in February 2016. Austin admitted failing to keep the beer cellar clean and failing to ensure adequate procedures were in place to control pests. A hygiene rating of zero was given at the time of the inspection.

The court was told that remedial works had been carried out to a satisfactory standard within a few days of the problem being discovered. Dudley Council has confirmed that Picks now has a hygiene rating of three out of five. Austin was fined £535 and ordered to pay costs of £1,367.30 plus a victim surcharge of £53.

Councillor Rachel Harris, cabinet member responsible for health, said:

“These cases bring the total to five prosecutions that we have taken to court against food premises in the past few weeks alone. We are tough on food hygiene and safety and will not hesitate to take legal action against the minority of food businesses that fail to meet their legal responsibilities.

“I want to assure the public that the vast majority of food businesses in Dudley borough are compliant with the law with nearly half of all food outlets in the borough achieving the top hygiene rating of five and the vast majority achieving a satisfactory rating of three or more.

“We work with businesses to advise and assist them in meeting food safety and hygiene requirements but have a zero tolerance of low food hygiene ratings. People can check out hygiene ratings online, giving them a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop for food.”

Ratings in Dudley can be viewed online at dudley.gov.uk/foodsafety or at food.gov.uk/ratings. Help and advice for businesses about complying with the law is also available online on the council’s website.