‘Lucky customers were not made ill’ as rat dirt found at town chippy

INFESTATION DISCOVERED BY INSPECTORS

IMAGES showing rat droppings in a fish and chip shop which was infested by rodents have been revealed.

Environmental health officers discovered the filthy conditions at Wigston Fish Bar during an inspection.

Officials said the droppings found at the chippy in Leicester Road, Wigston, were fresh and accompanied by a powerful smell of urine.

Officers from Oadby and Wigston Borough Council looked around the premises and found a number of holes where the rats were getting in, including an unprotected externally-leading open drain.

The company that runs the business, Sandhu Saab Enterprises Limited, was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £1,555 last week, after admitting three breaches of food hygiene regulations in a hearing before Loughborough magistrates.

The court heard the inspection took place in November, which led to the council discovering signs of an active rat infestation in both the premises’ main food preparation and chipping areas.

After the infestation was discovered, the company voluntarily closed the premises to clean up and carry out treatment.

It was subsequently allowed to reopen after food safety staff were satisfied that action had been taken to eradicate the infestation and improve standards.

When sentencing, the magistrates said the business had “set itself up to fail” because the takeaway’s private pest control contract - under which a contractor would be expected to regularly visit the premises to ensure a pest-free environment - was cancelled back in 2017.

After the hearing, a spokeman for the council said: “This case showed extremely serious breaches of food hygiene standards and it was lucky customers weren’t made ill from food prepared under these conditions. The case demonstrates that this council will not hesitate to take firm action to protect residents and visitors.”

Following a recent inspection in September this year, the premises was awarded a “three star” food rating, meaning that hygiene standards are now generally satisfactory but the council will continue to monitor conditions.

The Mercury has attempted to contact the fish bar for comment but had not received an answer by the time we went to press last night.

This case showed extremely serious breaches of food hygiene standards

Council spokesman