A takeaway chicken shop has been fined thousands of pounds for being dirty and having mice.

Prosecution
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The owner of Texa Fried Chicken in Fulham Palace Road was successfully prosecuted by Hammersmith & Fulham Council after food safety officers found the premises was unclean, had no pest control and was operating in extremely poor conditions.

H&F Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Greg Smith, said: “This fried chicken shop was filthy. Everyone should be able to purchase food from all outlets in Hammersmith & Fulham with the confidence it has been prepared to the highest food hygiene practices, which are continuously and effectively monitored.

“That is why we take action to protect the public who could face serious injury to their health when food hygiene laws are flouted. This was a particularly bad case.”

Takeaway owner Vairavavappillai Sivanandarajah was found guilty of four charges at Hammersmith Magistrates Court on September 24 by District Judge Henderson.

The defendant was ordered to pay a £1,800 fine and costs of £2,000.  A £100.00 victim surcharge was also imposed.

The judge stated that Sivanandarajah should have kept the premises clean and pest free.  However, on June 19, 2012, environmental health officers found the shop was operating in very poor conditions and this resulted in a formal emergency closure as there was an imminent risk to health.

Mr Sivanandarajah was found guilty of:

  • failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good and clean condition
  • failing to ensure articles, fittings and equipment with which food comes into contact were kept clean and disinfected at frequency sufficient to avoid contamination
  • failing to have adequate procedures in place to control pests

Mr Sivanandarajah has been acting upon advice provided by the council and officers who recently visited the premises found it to be in a clean condition, with pest control in place and a documented food safety management system.