Hygiene chiefs hail sentence for 'dirty' Telford takeaway
Enforcement bosses have welcomed the sentence handed to the operator of a Chinese takeaway in Telford with poor food safety and hygiene standards.
Ka-Fai Woo, of China City, Dawley, was ordered to pay £2,987.40 costs after Telford Magistrates Court heard the premises posed a significant risk to health.
Inspectors from Telford & Wrekin Council had ongoing concerns about dirt and grease at the site, in King Street, in recent years and awarded hygiene ratings of two in 2014, one in 2017 before the final straw in February this year when it got a zero rating. It was only then that Woo took action managing to gain a rating of three by August.
But by then it was too little, too late and prosecution proceedings were under way.
Earlier this week he pleaded guilty to five offences of failing to comply with food safety regulations at the business trading as China Star City 28 Ltd.
The court heard that food hygiene inspectors found the premises dirty, out of date food, unacceptably greasy kitchen equipment such as the oven top, the rice cooker, the deep fat fryer, pipework, ventilation canopy, knobs, switches and handles.
Sauce bottles were encrusted, wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape, dirty ice cream containers used to store food, raw beef next to cooked chicken and open food containers stacked on top of each other in the refrigerator.
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Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for enforcement Councillor Richard Overton said: “This is why we carry out food hygiene inspections. Every year our inspectors made hundreds of visits every year of premises that handle and serve food.
“I am glad to say that many of those inspections result in a top score of five but, where there are problems, they are identified and dealt with. The most serious of cases, such as this, result in court action.
“We have the safety of the public at heart and it is important they are confident that, wherever they choose to eat, whether it’s eat-in or take-out, that food is stored, handled and prepared safely and hygienically.”
The father-of-six , who has similar convictions dating from 2007, was disqualified from running a food business. The prohibition is indefinite and he cannot apply to have it lifted for at least six months.
The company and Woo were each fined £960 with a victim surcharge of £96. Mr Woo must also to pay costs of £2,987.40.
Mr Mohammed Khan, mitigating for Woo, told d the magistrates that his client was "remorseful" and was suffering from anxiety and depression. He said Woo client found himself in difficulty after his 27-year marriage broke down and his wife stopped helping in the restaurant.
