The owners of a fast food takeway where a dead rat was found rotting in a storeroom have narrowly escaped jail.

Brothers Tosif and Imran Khan committed a catalogue of food hygiene and safety offences at Kebabish Original in Upper Tooting Road.

Their kitchen was described as filthy by food safety inspectors from Wandsworth Council's environmental services department who made an unannounced spot check at the takeaway in August 2005.

Walls, floors and shelves were covered in grease, there was food debris all over the cooking equipment and a food storage shelf was blackened with dirt.

Chopping boards were impregnated with dirt and contaminated with food spillages and kitchen staff could not wash their hands as the basin was disconnected and without taps.

There were no essential cleaning materials to kill bacteria on kitchen surfaces and customers faced significant risk of food poisoning.

Cooked rice and meat curries were left at room temperature for long periods of time - increasing the risk of bacterial infection.

The owners were told to carry out immediate work to make the premises safe, but food inspectors returned twice the following month and found little progress had been made.

Another spot check in November found the wash basin was still not working and staff had not been given hygiene training. Another check four months later also found conditions had not markedly improved.

The Khan brothers pleaded guilty to 35 counts of food hygiene and safety offences at South Western magistrates court.

After hearing the case, the district judge announced his powers of sentencing were insufficient and sent the case to Kingston Crown Court.

The judge sentenced Tosif Khan to 200 hours community service and Imran Khan to 180 hours. They were also ordered to pay the full prosecution costs of £2,355.

Councillor Malcolm Grimston, executive member for environment and leisure, said: "This takeaway was an absolute horror story. The owners showed a complete lack of regard for their customers' health, safety and well-being."