Hotel fined £9k after 20 people poisoned by Christmas meal

A HOTEL has been fined £9,000 after a Christmas Day food-poisoning outbreak that made more than 20 people ill.

Customers suffered food poisoning after eating a Christmas Day meal in December 2017 and the owner of the Newport hotel has now appeared in court, along with the former restaurant manager.

Dr Steve Hodgetts, owner of the Milton Hotel (Llanwern) Ltd, and former restaurant manager Karen Evans, pleaded guilty to several charges at Newport Magistrates’ Court last week and were fined a total of £9,000.

The court heard the outbreak affected more than 20 people, including a three-year-old child, who became ill with Clostridium pefringens food poisoning.

The festive meal had been incorrectly cooled and reheated, which led to the growth of the bacteria – which commonly causes sickness and diarrhoea.

Dr Hodgetts and Ms Evans pleaded guilty to charges of supplying food that was unfit and injurious to health; failure to protect food from contamination; failure to correctly cool the meat after cooking; and failure to implement and maintain food safety procedures.

The company was also charged with failing to have the appropriate licence in place to serve alcohol on the premises or to register the business with the food authority.

The company and individuals pleaded guilty to all charges and agreed to pay Newport City Council’s full legal costs.

In sentencing, Judge Khan said the defendants were “out of their depth”.

The premises has since received a Food Hygiene Rating of four.

WalesOnline approached the Milton Hotel for comment.