Stafford takeaway owners fined after dead flies found floating

Dead flies were found floating on pineapple ring juice at Stafford Chippy on Foregate Street in Stafford by hygiene inspectors from Stafford Borough Council.

The flies were also found to be breeding in food waste near the potato chipping machine.

Bejal and Pratul Kumar Patel, the wife and husband team that own the shop, admitted charges of not ensuring food was protected from contamination and failing to control pests in the food storage.

Magistrates at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre last week fined them £800 and ordered them to pay costs of £1,673.88 and a victim surcharge of £80.

The court heard how the takeaway had a ‘significant infestation of drain flies'.

The offences at the shop were discovered following a routine inspection by Stafford Borough Council on October 11 last year.

The court was told the couple voluntarily closed the premises that day but reopened two days later after carrying out the ‘relevant’ cleaning.

Magistrates also heard that the owners had now been given a three out of five ‘satisfactory’ rating for the chippy following the last inspection by the local authority.

Following the case Frank Finlay, the cabinet member for environment and health at Stafford Borough Council, said one of the authority's 'top priorities' was the health and wellbeing of people living in the borough.

He said of the sentence: “I hope this sends a message to takeaways, restaurants and other food businesses that if they do not keep their premises up to scratch then they will face prosecution – or even closure.

“One of our top priorities is the health and wellbeing of our residents and we want to avoid people becoming ill, following a meal out, because the standards of hygiene have fallen below what is acceptable.”

Around 900 businesses in Stafford, which is nearly 69 per cent, have the highest score of five on the food rating scheme.

Information on all food outlets across the borough can be found at www.food.gov.uk/ratings