The owner of a takeaway restaurant has been fined £2,500 after admitting a series of breaches of food hygiene regulations in a case brought by South Kesteven District Council's environmental health team.

Mohammed Yaseen, of The Curry Hut, Market Deeping, who appeared at Boston Magistrates Court on Monday 13th February, was also ordered to pay full costs to the Council of £6,494.76 and a victim surcharge of £1,000.

He pleaded guilty to 15 charges under the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013.

When Environmental Health officers from the Council visited The Curry Hut on July 21st and 26th last year they found examples of poor practice including:

• Failure to keep floors, walls, doors, toilet facilities and fixtures and fittings in the kitchen and serving areas of the premises, along with storage areas, in a hygienic state
• Failure to have adequate procedures in place to control and prevent pests
• Failure to keep raw materials and ingredients in appropriate conditions to minimise the risk of contamination
• Failure to ensure that all articles, fittings and equipment with which food came into contact were effectively cleaned

Grease trap under kitchen sink. Image credit: SKDC.

SKDC's Cabinet Member for People and Safer Communities, Cllr Annie Mason, said: "Protecting the public and upholding high standards is a key element of the Council's food safety responsibilities and the vast majority of food businesses in South Kesteven comply with the regulations.

"The Council encourages and works with local food businesses to improve hygiene standards and it is unacceptable for a business to allow standards to fall and potentially put people's health at risk. We can, and do, take formal action against those that fail to comply with the law.

"The penalty imposed by the court indicates the seriousness of this case, which was brought following thorough inspections of the premises by Environmental Health officers."