Chicken shop & director prosecuted for abysmal hygiene standards
– Shop had ignored warnings to improve dating back to 2012
– Prosecution launched by Enfield Council resulted in fine and costs at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court
A chicken shop and its director have admitted fowl play regarding hygiene standards and been ordered to stump up a total of £5,239.11 at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
Poppin Chicken in Fore Street, Edmonton, and its director Sajikanth Thananayagam were prosecuted after a food safety inspector from Enfield Council visited the premises in August 2016 and spotted a live cockroach walking across a food preparation area.
The inspector also found evidence of a wider cockroach infestation, flies, cheese being stored at double the recommended temperature and no soap or hot water at the hand wash basin. The owner agreed to close the premises because of an imminent risk to the public’s health until the areas requiring improvement were addressed.
The takeaway was reopened three days later when the food safety officer re-inspected the premises and declared himself happy with the improvements made.
The company and Sajikanth Thananayagam both pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Highbury Corner Magistrates on 25 May.
Poppin Chicken was fined £1,500, ordered to pay costs of £1,354.56 and a Victim Surcharge of £150 while Thananayagam was fined £800, ordered to pay costs of £1,354.55 and a £80 Victims Surcharge.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Daniel Anderson, said: “It is extremely worrying when workers in a takeaway restaurant can’t see what is wrong with a live cockroach crawling across a food preparation area and it was only right that this establishment was closed and prosecuted for some quite horrific hygiene failings.
“We have a duty to build strong communities and protect the public from harm and will therefore not hesitate in taking firm action against any business that can’t be bothered to adhere to the most basic hygiene standards. It is not acceptable by any standards to expose diners to the risk of food poisoning and this sentence sends out a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.”