Environmental health officers found the Oriental Fountain's kitchen littered with food debris and dirt encrusted equipment.

On Friday, Richard Whitehurst, of restaurant owners RGB Partners Ltd, pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to five offences of contravening food safety laws at Sudbury Magistrates' Court.

Fining the company £3,000 per offence, presiding magistrate Helen Williams said there had been a total lack of management and supervision, which had led to the public being put at risk.

The court heard how, on August 17, a food safety officer from Mid Suffolk District Council carried out a routine inspection at the Station Road West restaurant.

Jonathan Reed, prosecuting, said the inspector noticed dirty equipment in the first floor kitchen. The can opener was encrusted with food, the chopping boards were mouldy and washing-up was piled in the basin.

Containers full of cooked noodles were next to containers of raw meat, which sat on dirty cardboard laid on the kitchen floor. Staff were handling the food with bare hands.

In the staff bathroom the inspector found a dirty toilet and shower, with mould growing on the walls and old food ground into the carpet. There was no soap or towel near the washbasin.

Mr Whitehurst was called to the restaurant to discuss the inspector's findings, but he was unable to produce any food hygiene records for his employees.

RGB Partners Ltd was charged with having dirty premises, not keeping its catering equipment clean, not supervising its food handlers, not protecting the food from contamination and having no documentation corresponding to the food business.

Don Sheahan, in mitigation, said the company accepted standards at the premises had been unacceptable, but extensive work had now been carried out at the site.

RGB Partners Ltd was also ordered to pay £3,129.66 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here to go back to our main news index.