A takeaway has been named and shamed after cockroaches and rats were found to be infesting their food premises.
Food and safety officers visited Peri Peri Original and discovered the filthy conditions at the business in Coventry. They were called to the takeaway in February 2022 after a customer saw a live cockroach while placing an order. Officers found a "significant cockroach infestation" when they inspected the location. CoventryLive reports Coventry City Council officers found the premises "in a very dirty condition with rat activity in the yard area where some food was being stored and prepared".
The takeaway was "closed voluntarily" while improvements were made and the cockroach and rat infestations were treated. The business was allowed to reopen three weeks later. But during a further unannounced visit in August 2022, inspectors found further evidence of cockroaches and the takeaway was voluntarily closed again. Now the food business has been fined a total of £6,326.34 after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences. Abid Hussain was the sole trader and the food business operator of the business at the time of the earlier hygiene offences in February 2022.
Aribah Ltd, which took over the business, was the operator at the time of the later hygiene offences in August 2022. Hussain was the director of Aribah Ltd at this time. He pleaded guilty to all charges, as an individual and in his capacity as a director of the company, at Coventry Magistrates Court on April 22.
He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay full investigation costs of £2426.34 and a victim surcharge of £100.00. Aribah Ltd was also fined £2,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £800.00. After the second incident, the authority said the business "undertook the required work" and then was able to reopen when the risk to health had been removed. Mr Hussain then said he "hadn’t been at the premises regularly for personal reasons."
Both Mr Hussain and Aribah Ltd admitted failing to put in place adequate procedures to control pests plus failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good repair and condition. They also admitted failing to maintain procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Controls. A further admission was made of failing to ensure the construction of the premises permitted good hygiene practices, in particular, pest control.
The authority said after the case: "It is vital that people running food businesses in Coventry have adequate procedures in place to ensure the safety of the food they sell at all times.” Davina Blackburn, strategic lead for regulation in the city, said: "It was disappointing to find that the conditions were found to have deteriorated again at the business and the fine given reflects this. Food hygiene offence is a serious matter and the courts have sent out a strong message that formal action will be taken where necessary."