Two food spots have been prosecuted for unacceptably poor hygiene conditions with Luton Council accusing them of a “dreadful failure” to “take their food hygiene responsibilities seriously” with an active cockroach infestation found in one and mouse droppings in the other.
Mr T’s Café Ltd, trading as Coffee Pot, in Bury Park’s Nadeem Plaza, was fined £20,000, plus a £8,000 victim surcharge and £750 prosecution costs at Luton Magistrates Court, while director, Mr. Tanher Ahmed was also fined £6,800 and ordered to pay £2,000 victim surcharge, plus £750 prosecution costs.
In July 2022, a Council Environmental Health Officer found a poor food standard of cleanliness throughout the food preparation area. In addition, there was a cockroach infestation, so a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served to immediately close the premises.
The Coffee Pot now has made improvements and has a hygiene rating of 4.
Elsewhere, Chopstix Trading Ltd, trading as Chopstix, a noodle bar in The Mall, has been found guilty of maintaining poor standards of cleanliness and ignoring obvious signs of mice activity.
The business was fined £29,000 plus a £180 surcharge and £11,494.50 prosecution costs.
During an unannounced inspection in January 2020, mouse droppings were found in a number of areas both in the front serving area, under shelving and behind a fridge.
Additional inspections in the food preparation area led the officer to finding more droppings, both on the floor and near the cooking range at cooker level – even though the site manager hadn’t recorded issues in the daily log.
A hygiene emergency prohibition notice was immediately served, and the premises was closed.
The premises has now made improvements and has a hygiene rating of 5.
Councillor Khtija Malik, portfolio holder for Public Health at Luton Council, said: “In all of these situations there has been a dreadful failure on behalf of food business operators, managers and staff to take their food hygiene responsibilities seriously. This has meant people have been repeatedly exposed to significant health hazards. Such a cavalier attitude to public health is totally unacceptable.
“All establishments selling food in Luton must stick to the highest possible standards and when they fail to do so, we will step in with the full force of the law, including emergency closure and prosecution. Whether filling out records, ensuring surfaces are thoroughly clean or having adequate procedures in place to control pests: each outlet is expected to make these matters a priority. If establishments fail to do this, we will force them to do so on behalf of residents.”
You can view the food ratings of local establishments in Luton here.
