Ex-Black Country chippie owners fined £3,500 over rat infestation
The former owners of a Black Country chippie which was twice infested with rats have been fined thousands of pounds.
Shocking conditions inside Penny's Fish Bar, in Long Lane, Halesowen, were discovered by environmental officers from Dudley Council carrying out a routine visit in August last year.
Evidence of rats was found and areas of the chip shop – including the potato preparation room – were shut for a week while the rodents were removed.
But just five months later inspectors returned to find more evidence of rats and numerous other hygiene problems including a lack of measures to protect against contamination.
Jasbir Singh and Sandeep Singh – who owned the chippie from February 2014 until January this year – each pleaded guilty to a total of 18 food safety and hygiene offences when they appeared before magistrates in Wolverhampton on Thursday.
Jasbir Singh, of High Park Close, Smethwick, was fined £2,000 and Sandeep Singh, of Bell Road, Walsall, was fined £1,500. Both were ordered to pay £850 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Inspectors found in their first visit that the premises were poorly pest-proofed and needed structural repair. They found no hot water in one of the preparation rooms and equipment had been damaged.
Mr Tim Holder, prosecuting for Dudley Council, said: "There were also poor standards of cleanliness, no documented food safety management system, food was not protected against contamination and staff were not trained."
Jasbir Singh, 50, and Sandeep Singh, 43, agreed to close areas of their shop. But it reopened eight days later after it appeared the infestation has been eradicated.
Officers visited again on January 13 when it was noted there had been some improvement but seven hygiene contraventions were recorded. These included further evidence of rats.
Jasbir and Sandeep Singh again agreed to close parts of the shop until environmental officers were satisfied the premises were free of rodent activity. Within a week the Singhs had sold the premises.
Mr Aftab Rashid, defending, said his clients had a 'lack of interest' in the business after it proved to be not as lucrative as they had initially hoped.
