The owners of an Indian restaurant in the Huntingdonshire market town of Ramsey has been prosecuted over food hygiene breaches within their business.
The Bengal Restaurant, joint-owned by Mr Fazir Khan and Mr Noor Ali, was inspected by Environmental Health Protection Officers from Huntingdonshire District Council last April. During the visit, officers found the following problems:
• Staff members and delivery drivers walking through raw sewage from a blocked and discharging drain to gain access to the restaurant’s kitchens
• Poor standards of cleaning and disinfection
• Food handlers without any food hygiene training left unsupervised
• High risk food products being stored at ambient temperatures
• Risks of cross-contamination
• No documented food safety management system
• A kitchen which was too small for the food operation
After the inspection, the Bengal Restaurant was given a food hygiene rating of 0 and the owners agreed to close it whilst cleaning and disinfection could take place.
Mr Fazir Khan and Mr Noor Ali were prosecuted in Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court. They pleaded guilty to a total of seven food hygiene offences and were fined £1,750 for each offence, as well as being required to pay the council’s court costs of £1,200.
