Lives put at risk by shocking state of restaurant’s kitchen

THE kitchen of a Paignton restaurant was so filthy it and could have caused serious ill health or even death, a court has heard.

Tandoori Nights in Torquay Road has been ordered to pay more than £7,000 after a prosecution by Torbay Council Environmental Health.

Tandoori Nights was found guilty on four counts for having very poor standards of cleaning, food safety practices and personal hygiene which posed a serious risk to health.

The owner, a Mr Khan, pleaded guilty to all four offences and was fined £880 per offence (£3,520) and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £88 and court costs of £3,583.18, a total of £7,191.18.

Magistrates who heard the case at Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court said the photographs of the poor standards were some of the worst they had seen. The magistrates went on to say the appalling conditions could have caused a member of the public to become seriously ill or even die from eating food prepared in such conditions.

Councillor Vic Ellery, Torbay council’s executive lead for environment, said: “We take food safety very seriously as we need to ensure that our residents and visitors are not exposed to any public health risk.

“When there are failings like this we need to take action.

“The level of the fine and costs awarded to the owners of this restaurant, along with the comments from the magistrates, reiterate our message that it is important that anyone preparing or selling food for the public has to comply with food safety legislation.”

During the inspection it was also found that food safety re- cords had not been kept up to date for around 18 months.

Mr Khan voluntarily closed the business for around a week in order for thorough clean of the kitchen.

The business was given a zero on the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

The filthy state of the floors and food preparation area of the kitchen