Four people were taken to hospital after they were accidentally served poisonous drain cleaner - rather than vinegar - in a leading Oxford restaurant.

Now Bass Taverns, which owns the famous Brown's restaurant, in Woodstock Road, has been cautioned by Oxford City Council for breaking food safety rules.

The error happened after the group of diners, being served by a waitress on her first shift, asked for an empty vinegar bottle on their table to be replaced.

She went to the kitchen and found the shelf where she thought the vinegar was kept, re-filled the bottle and returned it to their table. It was only when the four partygoers began to feel sick that they realised a horrible mistake had been made - for the waitress had filled the bottle with drain cleaner left in the kitchen by a workman.

A plumber, who had been working in the restaurant during the day, had placed the bottle containing the drain cleaner, labelled "corrosive", on the same shelf where the sauces were stored. The four victims, out for dinner with four other friends, were taken to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, by paramedics. They were allowed home after treatment.

The city council launched a major investigation and conducted a review of the restaurant's health and safety procedures. Bass Taverns has now received a formal caution from the city council's environmental health department, after admitting three offences under the Food Safety Act.

A Bass Taverns spokesman said: "This was a very regrettable incident over a mix-up of some bottles. We have apologised to the people involved and taken all the steps we can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

A city council spokesman said they had decided not to prosecute Bass Taverns due to the circumstances surrounding the case and mitigating factors.

Story date: Tuesday 28 December

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