Cockroach restaurant has to close

A cockroach infestation led to a Chinese restaurant being closed under an emergency prohibition order.

Environmental health officers visited Chopsticks chinese restaurant in Birmingham New Road, Dudley, on Wednesday after a complaint from someone who was in the restaurant the day before.

They found an infestation of cockroaches, plus a rat dropping, and served a 24-hour notice to owner Guofu Zhang to appear at Dudley Magistrates Court yesterday for the emergency order to be discussed.

Michelle Zhang, his daughter, representing him in court and acting as translator, said that Zhang, director of the company New Style Trading Limited, accepted there was an infestation problem, and said action had already begun to get rid of the pests.

She added that they would also seek advice from the council as to which firm they would recommend for the job.

“We do use a company at the moment but we don’t think they are doing a very good job, so we want to change them,” she added.

Tim Holder, prosecuting, said cockroaches were also found yesterday. Magistrates ordered the restaurant be closed with immediate effect until the infestation was cleared, and inspected to the satisfaction of environmental health officers.

New Style Trading was fined £1,003.60, to be paid within 56 days. The council will issue a certificate to open once premises are clear of any evidence of infestation for three consecutive days, and all necessary cleaning and disinfecting had been done.

After the hearing Miss Zhang said: “We will follow all the things the officers have asked for to make the restaurant safe. We will re-open as soon as possible.”

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