The director of a city centre café obstructed a Bradford Council food hygiene inspector when she visited his dirty premises to discover whether it had been cleaned up, a court was told.
Environmental Health Officers had earlier told Arif Mehmood, 43, that improvements were required at the premises of Smorgasbord, in Rawson Place, and he needed to keep the premises clean.
When the inspector returned for a follow-up inspection the improvements had not been made.
Bradford magistrates were told that during the follow-up inspection, Mehmood threw the inspector’s bag out of the premises and grabbed hold of her arm in an attempt to eject her as well.
Mehmood, of Burnsdale, Allerton, pleaded guilty to obstructing an environmental health officer by assault, failing to maintain the premises in a clean condition, failing to provide suitable materials for hand drying, failing to provide suitable and sufficient means of mechanical ventilation and failing to provide drainage facilities.
Mehmood had also failed, despite earlier warnings, to register the food business and to put in place a documented food safety management system despite previous warnings.
Mehmood was fined £1,500, with £1,218 costs and £15 victim surcharge. He as also fined £50 for a breach of a conditional discharge resulting from an unconnected offence.
The company, Smorgasbord Ltd, was fined £1,600, with £2,500 costs and £15 Victim Surcharge, after pleading guilty to all the charges.
Quasam Khan, 43, of Hannover Square, Manningham, Bradford, also pleaded guilty to obstructing an Environmental Health Officer by failing to disclose information or disclosing information about the company that was incorrect and refusing to give his name to the officer.
The court heard that he had been present at the premises with Mehmood but refused to answer any of the officer’s questions properly.
Khan was fined £150 with £200 costs and £15 Victim Surcharge.
Angela Brindle, Bradford Council’s Environmental Health Manager, said: “Such outrageous behaviour towards our officers will not be tolerated, especially when all they are trying to do is to make sure that the people of Bradford are protected against the owners of dirty food businesses.
“We will prosecute anyone who continues to flout food safety regulations and put the public at risk. We are pleased with the outcome of the case and hope this sends out a warning to anyone who refuses to take food hygiene regulations seriously.”
