Mouldy chopping boards, food stored on a dirty floor and the use of heavily stained cloths of food preparation surfaces, were just some of the filthy conditions and practices found at a curry house.

Mangala Kumar, the former owner of Blue Waves restaurant in South End, pleaded guilty to three food-hygiene offences, when he appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on October 15.

He was fined £2,120 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,000 after admitting failing maintain a food safety management system in order to keep food safe, failing to keep premises clean and in good repair and condition and failing to keep equipment with which food comes into contact in a clean condition, good repair and order.

Magistrates hear when food safety officers from Croydon Council visited the restaurant they found a number of problems, including filthy conditions throughout the premises and equipment.

Despite several visits during which Kumar was given advice and coaching on cleaning and managing and implement food safety systems, he was served with a Hygiene Improvement Notice (HIN) requiring a deep clean and disinfection of the premises and equipment.

A revisit after the HIN found little effort had been made to improve standards and the restaurant was still dirty and in a poor state of repair.

Councillor Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety, said: "The conditions in this restaurant were, simply, shocking.

"The practices were so bad that the health of customers could very easily have been compromised, possibly resulting in cases of food poisoning.

"I hope this restaurateur, and others, take heed and learn from the severity of the penalty."

 

TODAY'S TOP CROYDON STORIES