UPDATE: Council gets tough on restaurants flouting the rules 

AN INDIAN restaurant has been fined £35,000 after leaving opened chutneys and naan dough among an infestation of rats, as well as obstructing hygiene inspectors.

At Oxford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday The Star and Garter in Thame pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including failure to comply with EU food safety and hygiene regulations and obstructing hygiene inspectors.

There was evidence of an infestation of rats when inspectors visited in March last year and the restaurant was ordered to stop using its food storage area.

But when they revisited the following day, inspectors found the prohibition notices covered up. Later that week officers were satisfied things had improved and allowed them to use the food storage area again.

The Wellington Street curry house has since further improved its hygiene and was awarded a two-star rating in August and a three-star rating in January.

Other charges revealed inspectors found the management did not take adequate procedures to control pests and discovered debris, dirt and grease and rat droppings.

One of the charges read: “You failed to protect food in the rear storage area from contamination, there was a box of fresh ginger on the floor, next to the box there was a tray a naan dough covered with cling film next to a rat trap.

“Raw chicken was being defrosted in a dirty sink, and raw chicken was being prepared in the rear storage area where there was evidence of rat droppings on the floor.

Another charge read: “There were boxes of open salad, prepared vegetables, and open trays of chutney in the cellar, where there was evidence of a rat infestation and the presence of rat droppings.

“You failed to ensure that the food premises were kept clean and in good repair and condition, in that there was an accumulation of debris rat droppings and extraneous matter throughout the food storage area and an accumulation of food debris, dirt and grease under the cooking range and work preparation unit in the kitchen area.

Three of the charges related to the obstruction of environmental health officers when they conducted a follow up visit a day later.

The staff had covered up its ‘hygiene emergency prohibition notice’, which officers had fixed to the front and rear doors of the restaurant.

At a short hearing on Tuesday, the company pleaded guilty to all counts and was fined £35,000 plus £2,071 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

The most recent inspection, on January 10, rated the curry house ‘fair’ when it came to food hygiene and safety structural compliance.