A chip shop owner from Wolverhampton has been ordered to pay more than £2,600 in fines and court costs after stocking food past its use by date.

Hardeep Bayal, who owns Villiers Fish Bar in Blakenhall, was sentenced to pay the amount at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court after patties were found in the fridge that did not meet food labelling regulations. The court heard how the 28-year-old had twice been issued with written warnings last year about similar food health and safety issues

Miss Donna Richards, prosecuting on behalf of Wolverhampton City Council, said: “He was given advice to stop this recurring and council officers made regular visits to check compliance with the new procedures.”

On October 16 council officers found meat patties, including 14 chicken patties, which had a use by date of September 19, in the chippie’s refrigerator.

Miss Richards added that the items were not labelled so it was unclear when, or if, they had been frozen.

“When he was questioned Mr Bayal said he thought they had been delivered out of date but he never produced any evidence,” added Miss Richards.

“He said his brother managed the store and it was him who should have been checking the dates and labelling. He blamed the offences on human error and said staff had started to label food but it had fallen by the wayside.”

Bayal pleaded guilty in a letter in which he told the court it was “perfectly safe” to eat food that had been frozen for up to 40 days, even past its date.

Ordering him to pay a £1,600 fine – equating to £400 for each offence – as well as a further £1,013 in court costs, District Judge Michael Wheeler said the offences were made more serious by the warnings.