A former owner of a takeaway who let flies into his kitchen after leaving a drain uncovered has been hit with a bill of more than £3,000.
Shameem Akhtar, 33, failed to keep clean his Zeeshan premises on Manchester Road in Little Hulton, ignoring warnings from Salford’s environmental health inspectors.
He pleaded guilty to four food hygiene offences at Salford Magistrates’ Court in a case brought by the council.
When officers visited the premises last July they found an uncovered outside drain. Flies from the drain were entering the kitchen through an open back door, heard the Magistrate.
Evidence was also presented at court to show a poor standard of cleaning throughout the premises.
Food was being stored at the wrong temperatures in fridges, there was no hot water connected to the hand wash basin and equipment was not being properly maintained.
There were dirty chopping boards, grease-ridden surfaces, missing tiles to walls and damaged ceilings.
Akhtar of Eric Street in Oldham, was ordered to clean up his act and when officers visited again two days later some effort had been made to put things right but not to a satisfactory standard.
He was served with six food hygiene improvement notices and one for health and safety for having no proof that gas appliances were being correctly maintained.
In October officers went back to find conditions had partly improved but not enough to comply with one of the food hygiene improvement notices.
Akhtar was fined £2,000 in total, £500 per offence and ordered to pay £1,000 towards court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Councillor Ray Mashiter, Salford City Council’s lead member for environment said: “This owner’s dirty premises posed as a serious health risk to the public and there is no excuse for it.
“The individual ignored several warnings about the poor standards of cleaning and we had no choice but to take action on behalf of the public.”
The Zeeshan takeaway is no longer operating at Manchester Road West. The premises has been taken over by Kurry Express – a new business under different management.
Source: Salford City Council
