A POPULAR Indian restaurant and takeaway has been made to pay more than £1,000 after becoming infested with rats.

Tiffins Tandoori restaurant in Abingdon was taken to court earlier this week, after hygiene inspectors carried out a surprise inspection on October 4.

In a statement today, Vale of White Horse District Council have detailed the extent of their discovery, revealing that they found 'gnawed' food and rat faeces. 

Inspectors temporarily banned the Bath Road restaurant from using its food storage area, which has now been lifted.

READ AGAIN: Part of Indian restaurant shut down due to rats

Pictures released by the council showed a hole in the wall of the storage area, and a dirty floor which looked to be harbouring droppings.

The ground floor kitchen and other areas were not infested, the council said.

On Monday the case went to Oxford Magistrates’ Court, where the restaurant was ordered to pay the council’s costs of £1,175.50 for undertaking the prohibition. 

The council said Tiffins 'has now carried out work to secure the storage area from access by pests'.

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Councillor Jenny Hannaby, cabinet member for housing and environment, said: "It is the duty of the council and its food and safety officers to do their utmost to help to protect people’s health by making sure businesses which serve food keep to hygiene standards.

"When they fall short of those standards, as in this case, officers will take immediate action.

"I am pleased to hear that the restaurant has now carried out the necessary work on the food storage area."

The restaurant was awarded a food hygiene rating of four out of five in January, but the council said a new rating will shortly be issued based on the October inspection.

Tiffins boasts a four and a half star rating out of five on Tripadvisor, and the same on Facebook.