A filthy takeaway has been ordered to close after health inspectors discovered a huge rodent infestation, including mouse droppings where food was prepared. The owners of Ranna Indian restaurant in Walthamstow, north east London, were told to pay more than £1,000 when they were hauled before the courts over the hygiene breach.
Following a customer complaint, an inspection of the restaurant was carried out by Environmental Health Officers last week (January 25). Council workers found evidence of a "significant rodent infestation" at the eatery, according to Waltham Forest Council.
Mouse droppings were found throughout the building, including over food preparation and storage areas, the council said. Clumps of dirt and grease were also found, indicating a lack of any food safety management plan, the authority said.
The company has since carried out a big clean-up, as well as doing repairs and pest control measures. The eatery will stay closed until a follow-up inspection confirms the infestation has been eradicated.
The proprietor who is registered to an address in the Isle of Dogs, east London, under the name Saar Takeaway Limited, was ordered to pay the council costs of £1,096. At Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, magistrates confirmed the closure of the takeaway and issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order (HEPO).
Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, cabinet member for community safety at Waltham Forest Council, said after the hearing: "I shudder to think how long this risk to public health might have remained were it not for the swift and decisive actions of Council Environmental Health Officers. Rather than just a means of punishment, I hope this closure order sets the proprietors on the right course towards improving their health and safety practices permanently and restoring the confidence of their customers as well as the council."
