The owner of a Pembrokeshire free-range egg packing station pleaded guilty to three food hygiene offences when he appeared before a Judge at the Magistrates Court in Haverfordwest.
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- Council: Pembrokeshire County Council
- Fine: £3,240
- Costs: £1,200
- Total: £4,440
Havard Evans, 52, was the owner of Pennsylvania Farm Free Range Eggs in Hayscastle when the offences took place in May 2012 and February 2013.
District Judge David Parsons fined Evans £1080 per charge and ordered him to pay £1,200 costs and a victim surcharge of £108, totalling £4,548.
The business has since been relocated to Crundale where it continues to be operated by Havard Evans and now has the top rating of 5 under the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
The court heard that following a complaint in May 2012, officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Protection Division visited the premises and carried out a full investigation.
They found evidence of significant pest proofing issues within the packing station and rat holes in store rooms directly adjacent to the packing station.
The floors, walls and ceiling in the packing station were extremely dirty and there was evidence of dead insects found on the floor.
The rough concrete floor covering in the wash up room was impossible to maintain in a clean condition and the wooden wall coverings in the wash up room and the painted wall finish in the packing room were smeared and dirty and could not be maintained in a clean condition.
There was also water leaking from the pipes under the sink and the overhead water pipe.
Havard Evans pleaded guilty to a failure to ensure that the layout, design, construction, siting and size of his food premises permitted good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and, in particular, pest control (in May 2012) and a failure to ensure that his premises were kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition (in both May 2012 and February 2013).
After the hearing, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, Councillor Huw George, said:
“All food businesses, including activities such as packing stations, must take all necessary measures to protect food from contamination risks.
“The public are not there to see the hygiene standards at the premises and rely on the integrity of the business and the local authority to ensure its regulation, so that the public are protected.
“The Authority will not hesitate to take action when serious contraventions of the legislation are discovered.”
Following the initial inspection the premises received a zero rating (‘urgent improvements needed’) under the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, and immediate improvements were sought by officers to address the main areas of risk. The premises received a further zero rating at the subsequent ‘rescore’ inspection requested by Havard Evans.
Ratings issued after the 28th November, 2013, are required to be displayed on food premises by law, allowing consumers to make an informed choice.
