A Chinese takeaway in Southgate, Elland, has been fined more than £17,000 after it was found to be breaching food safety rules and putting its customers’ health at risk.
The Welcome Chinese Takeaway was inspected by environmental health officers from Calderdale Council back in April 2013. A number of serious issues were uncovered, including:
• A lack of up-to-date records of food safety checks
• Equipment and fittings in a state of disrepair
• Dirty and unhygienic kitchen surfaces and equipment
The owner of the business, Mrs Tu Yung Chan, had reportedly been warned many times th she must make improvements or face further action. The environmental health team advised her on a number of occasions how to make these improvements, including enrolling herself and her staff on a food hygiene training course, but this advice appears to have been ignored.
At Halifax Magistrates’ Court, Mrs Chan was fined £16,000 after pleading guilty to a total of eight food hygiene offences. She was also ordered to pay court costs of £1,315.
The council’s Mark Thompson commented on the case, saying:
“We take breaches of hygiene standards very seriously and will not hesitate to take action if we find any areas of concern.
“In this case, we took legal action against a persistent offender who had put people’s health at risk. We will continue to monitor the takeaway.”
