Here’s an article we found in the Daily Mail Recently and thought we would share it to highlight the need for professional pest control to protect your business – or rather what can happen if you don’t have it!! John Hall reported the following

Raw chicken covered in flies and mouse droppings on the floor: FILTHY food shop fined £6,000 for ‘blatant disregard for hygiene’

• Mohammed Gaffar, 48, pleaded guilty to breaching food hygiene standards
• Routine inspection of the shop found it to be a ‘danger to public health’
  
• Mr Gaffar was fined £5,750 at Oldham Magistrates’ Court yesterday
  
• He had told the court that fasting during Ramadan had made him lazy
  
• The Top Sweet Centre in Werneth, Greater Manchester has now reopened

Lumps of raw chicken covered in flies were found on the floor of a sweet shop and takeaway that has been fined for its ‘blatant disregard for hygiene’.

Mohammed Gaffar, the 48-year-old owner of Top Sweet Centre in Werneth, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to eight counts of contravening the Environmental Protection Act at Oldham Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He was fined £5,750 after a routine inspection last July found mouse droppings on the floor, trays of meat left without covers, and a customer trying to remove a fly from a kebab.

When food inspector Samantha Jackson arrived without notice to inspect the premises, she saw a customer trying to remove flies from a kebab before members of staff asked her to call back another time.

On the kitchen floor she found a box of raw chicken covered in flies and two trays of kebabs.

Ms Jackson was also confronted by mouse droppings on shelves, on the floor and under the fridge, which she believed constituted an ‘immediate danger to public health.’

An excessive collection of refuse was found in the rear yard of the takeaway, the toilets were filthy, and a dirty bar of soap and unwashed towels were described as ‘not fit for purpose’.

Ms Jackson informed Gaffar, who had previously been warned about hygiene in 2009, 2010 and 2011, that he either had to voluntarily close the shop or she would be forced to issue an order.

Gaffar immediately shut the takeaway before resuming trading two days later after an intensive cleaning operation. The shop remains open.

Ruth Crimmins, prosecuting, said: ‘This was an awful filthy state of a takeaway. The boiler was covered in grease and was leaking and the inspector didn’t leave until all the food was thrown away.’

Gaffar accepted responsibility for the conditions and said he had been lazy due to Ramadan.

He apologised for the state of the shop and indicated a willingness to improve standards.

Since reopening the shop, Gaffar has had to gain food hygiene certificates and has agreed to maintain a food-standards book.

The shop has since been lifted from zero to two on Oldham Council’s cleanliness rating system, with five being the top grade.

Magistrate Peter Clayber said: ‘There was a blatant disregard for hygiene which didn’t happen overnight and reflected a danger to health.’

Councillor Jean Stretton, cabinet member for co-operatives and neighbourhoods, said: ‘The conditions of this business were truly disgusting, as well as unsafe.

‘We always take what legal action we can to force dirty businesses to stop taking unacceptable risks with the public’s health.

‘I urge residents to check food-hygiene ratings before they purchase from any food business. Most take hygiene very seriously and nearly three-quarters of food businesses are rated at four or above.’

‘There are however a few establishments which need to recognise their responsibilities to their customers.’

If you enjoyed the article by Mr Hall read more of his pieces here

For more information on pest control and preventative pest control services call Pest Solutions UK on 01942 872137 we cover greater Manchester, including Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and Ashton under Lyne.

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