Rat droppings, a cricket bat used to stir curry sauce which was later gnawed by rats, and various holes used by the pests were found at a Chinese restaurant in Knighton.
Inspectors found evidence of rat activity at the Mandarin House Take-away at 50 Market Street when they carried out routine checks on March 5 last year.
At Brecon Combined Court last Friday, Chun-Hung Cheung was fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay £500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after admitting five charges under the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006.
Chairman of the magistrates Paul Bevan said: “You have admitted five offences resulting from a serious lack of hygiene at your premises. These offences are serious and the possible consequences for your customers are terrible to contemplate.”
Cheung, 59, admitted failing to keep the premises clean, failing to maintain the premises in good repair, failing to keep food contact or preparation equipment in good repair, failing to put in place adequate procedures to control pests and failing to put in place, implement and maintain food safety management procedures.
Prosecuting for Powys County Council, Nigel Vaughan said that on March 5, 2008, the council’s environmental health officers visited Mandarin House to carry out a routine food hygiene inspection.
During the inspection, officers found rat activity within the premises with rat droppings noted in the food storage rooms and in the kitchen. A stainless steel saucepan was found to have rat droppings in it, there was evidence of gnawing at floor coverings and holes in the walls, and a brick, a saucepan lid and flattened tins cans had been placed against the holes to stop pests gaining entry.
Evidence of gnawing was also observed on items found at the premises including a wooden cricket bat which had previously been used to stir large vats of curry and then had been left for the rats to gnaw.
Standards of cleanliness were found to be unsatisfactory with the floor covering around the sinks and drains being dirty, and rat droppings and bait on the floor.
The drain in the rear yard was found to be full of congealed grease, the drainage pipe beneath the sink was dirty, and a corner of the ceiling in the storage room was broken and had been filled with paper.
The external surface of the chest freezer and its door were dirty, as were the areas by the main cooking range. The fridge had mould around the door seals and the external surfaces of the bin lids were dirty.
Mr Vaughan said there was no evidence to show that checks were being carried out to ensure food safety procedures were being adhered to. For example, there appeared to be no checks on food delivered to the premises to ensure it was at the right temperature, no checks on refrigerator temperatures and no checks to ensure reheated and cooled foods were reaching the correct temperatures, other than by touch.
Mr Vaughan said Cheung had closed the business until March 14, during which time rat activity had been eradicated and the pest entry points had been proofed.
He said Cheung was interviewed and, with the help of a translator, admitted that standards of cleanliness and maintenance at the premises were not good enough.
Defending, Brendan Reedy said Cheung would be 60 this year and felt very embarrassed and very sorry to be before the court.
Mr Reedy said Cheung had taken on the business in 2004 and some of the problems had arisen because the premises were not totally suitable for the operation.
He said Cheung had previously run a Chinese take-away in Telford for 10 years and had had no problems at all.
Mr Reedy said Cheung ran the premises with his wife and the profits amounted to about £11,500 a year. “Mr Cheung starts work at 8am preparing food and that is usually finished by midday. The premises are then open from 5pm until 10.45pm,” he said.