Shame of filthy town takeaway
PILES of dead flies, out-of-date meat and staff not using the hand-wash basin – these were the shocking conditions in a Southport takeaway.
When Sefton Council’s environmental health team inspected Flames kebab shop in Eastbank Street in July, they found the wash basin had no hot water and did not look as though it was being used.
Their report stated that staff should be washing their hands regularly, and especially after using the toilet, handling rubbish, smoking, taking a break, and handling raw food.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that the inspection also found the walls, floors, fridges and freezers to be filthy, and there was a broken electric fly-killer on the wall, with dead insects piled up in it.
There were also flies in the kitchen, and the back door was open, allowing easy access for such “pests”.
Meat in the freezers was out of date, while looselypackaged raw chicken was stored on top of ready-toeat bread buns, and the same equipment was used to handle both raw meat and cooked meat.
The takeaway was given an hygiene rating of “one” by officers, who said the standard of hygiene was “unacceptable”.
The following standards were recorded:
Hygienic food handling - improvement necessary.
Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building - improvement necessary.
Management of food safety - major improvement necessary.
The inspectors’ report said that if the standard of hygiene was not raised and maintained, “formal action may be taken, which may result in [the owner] being convicted and receiving a substantial fine”.
In January, 2016, the takeaway was the subject of a court case, after environmental health inspectors found the floor littered with food debris, walls marked with heavy grease and congealed blood inside a pizza topping tub.
Flames was subsequently taken over by new owners and received a five-star rating in March, 2016.
According to the Government’s Food Standards Agency website, the July inspection and subsequent one-star rating is the latest rating given to the business.
Flames approached response. has for been a