A chippy branded "filthy" by food hygiene inspectors was shut down immediately then allowed to reopen two days later after a clean-up.
Dolphin Supper Bar on Halton Road in Runcorn received an "emergency prohibition notice" from Halton Borough Council’s environmental health team last Wednesday, April 26, due to conditions that "posed an imminent risk to health”. It reopened on Friday after taking "action" to deal with the "breaches".
A copy of the closure order shared by Halton Council with the ECHO showed inspectors raised concerns including "filthy" hand wash basins with "ingrained dirt and grease deposits on the basins and taps". Liquid hand soap was only available at one basin and was in a "dirty condition on the pump action top".
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Halton Council reported that a member of staff was also seen to have smoked a cigarette in the yard before returning to the kitchen without washing their hands.
Contact surfaces such as light switches, taps, and fridge and freezer handles were "dirty and greasy", and cleaning equipment was in a "poor condition and filthy".
Other risks included food stored uncovered and open windows and doors "throughout the premises with no pest proofing" in addition to flies "evident throughout the premises as well as on the fly strip hanging throughout which were heavily covered in flies".
Dolphin Supper Bar, known locally as "The Dolphin", is well-known in the town, having traded for decades as well as for its distinctive branding.
A council spokeswoman told the ECHO: "We can confirm that environmental health officers closed the premises on Wednesday, April 26, using emergency powers.
"This was a result of a routine food hygiene inspection that found a number of breaches of food safety requirements that posed imminent risk to health.
"The premises were allowed to reopen on Friday, April 28, after action was taken by the proprietor to address matters that posed an imminent risk to health.
"At this stage we are unable to release any further information that is not already in the public domain due to the potential for ongoing legal proceedings."
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