STAFF at a city sushi restaurant have rolled up their sleeves after inspectors said there was something fishy about its hygiene.

Sushimania, in Park End Street, has now scored a four-star hygiene rating after addressing concerns that its salmon, sea bass and tuna might not be safe.

Oxford City Council environmental health officers had also found ‘sticky and dirty’ drawers and raw meat stored close to ice cream on a visit in February after which they gave the restaurant just two stars.

Inspectors were then booked in for a revisit after management said they were confident they had turned things around.

Sushimania told the Oxford Mail its staff had worked ‘very hard’ and were happy with their new four star score from inspectors last week.

Marketing manager Michael To said the team had received coaching ahead of the re-inspection.

He said: “We took feedback and coaching from our environmental health consultants while keeping the standards and procedures.

“I’m happy to announce we had another visit last week and we scored a hygiene rating of four - Good.

“The inspectors was satisfied with the relevant paperwork from our approved suppliers for the fish and they are confident with the management.”

The sushi restaurant, where Las Iguanas once was, opened in October last year and was criticised by city council officers at the business’s first visit.

Inspectors said there was no paperwork or clear process to demonstrate that salmon, sea bass and tune used for the sushi and sashimi dishes were safe and had undergone suitable freezing or were from an approved source.

Concerns were also raised over wash-up areas being left in the dark.

The restaurant chain said it was ‘disappointed’ that not all the appropriate procedures were being followed and took action to get back on track.

The firm said: “It’s a vast improvement from the previous inspection and we are happy with the result.

“We will continue to maintain the high standards to receive a good score on all future inspections.”

Shortly after the inspection Sushimania clarified that the fish was safe and from approved sources but it just didn’t have the paperwork to hand on the day.

Mr To said: “I can confirm however that all the fish for the sushi and sashimi was and is sourced from approved suppliers who are independently accredited as having high standards of food safety, we just did not have the paperwork available to prove this on the day.”