Kebab shop to remain closed after severe rat infestation discovered

A District Judge has ordered the owner of a Manchester Road kebab shop to keep his premises closed after being shown evidence of a major rat infestation.

Shinwari Kebab, at 52 Manchester Road, was initially forced to close its doors after Swindon Borough Council’s Environmental Health team responded to a complaint from a member of the public that there were rats in the shop.
During the visit, inspectors noted there was an imminent risk to the health of customers and shut the premises to protect the public.
District Judge Kirsty Allman, sitting at Swindon Magistrates Court, has imposed a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order on Shinwari Kebab after being presented with evidence of the inspection by the council’s Senior Environmental Health Officers.
The court heard how the shop was visited on 5 June following the complaint, and that on arrival officers found the smell of rodent urine, droppings and evidence of gnawing in several areas of the premises, including food preparation areas.
Rat urine stains and droppings were found on lids of plastic containers for spices within the kitchen. Gnawed flour bags were also found on shelves in amongst rat droppings.
Holes were found in walls, floors and doors, making it easy for the rodents to enter the premises and, in some areas, expanding foam which had been used to plug gaps, had been chewed and displaced.
District Judge Allman heard that cleaning standards were poor with a build-up of debris and/or rodent smears on floors and walls.
There were no appropriate cleaning chemicals on site to ensure effective cleaning of any pest-contaminated surface or equipment, including of food contact surfaces, while containers, utensils, chopping boards, crockery and other equipment were unprotected from possible contamination by pests because they were stored openly in areas of rodent activity.
Handwashing and general personal hygiene observed was poor and the court heard that there was no evidence a professional approach had been made to address the infestation or control its impact on the business. The business was initially in denial about any rodent activity despite the evidence of holes.
The store is owned by sole director Izoitullah Nazari, who attended court for the hearing.
The emergency prohibition order granted by the court allows the council to keep the shop shut until it is satisfied that the safety of customers can be met.
The owners of the business will have to contact the council if they believe the risks to human health are under control and an environmental health officer will attend immediately to work with the food business to ensure conditions are safe for it to reopen.
District Judge Allman awarded the council costs of £2,000.
Cllr Jim Grant, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Joint Working and Communities, said: “The conditions found in this kebab shop were appalling and the photos clearly show that rats were running amok, despite the owners’ initial denial that there was a problem.
“I’d like to personally thank the member of the public who reported this infestation to us, so our environmental health officers could take prompt action to protect the health of customers.
“This is an extreme case, but it is a reminder to all food business owners of their responsibilities when it comes to food hygiene. We would encourage all food business owners to engage professional pest controllers at the first sign of any pests rather than try to deal with it themselves.
“Thankfully, we have hundreds of businesses who do a great job in adhering to all the regulations and it is only a very small minority who let their standards drop.
“If you want to check the rating of a food business in Swindon you can visit the Food Standards Agency website for the latest food hygiene score awarded by our team.”