Rodents' droppings found at chip shop

Rodent droppings, fur and grease stains were found at a fish and chip shop run by a Wolverhampton couple, a court heard.

Environmental health officers uncovered dirty floors and damaged walls at Gill's Fish Bar in Blakenhall

Owners Harjeet Kaur Gill, aged 32, and her husband Lakhvir Singh Gill, 37, both of Elizabeth Avenue, Goldthorn Hill, admitted charges of failing to have procedures to control pests. They were ordered to pay £1,730 in fines and costs when they appeared before Wolverhampton magistrates yesterday.

The court heard that the matters came to light during a routine inspection by the environmental health officers.

Donna Richards, prosecuting for Wolverhampton City Council, said: "Officers found a preparation room where the structure was very poor and the walls were not capable of being cleaned.

"The floor was damaged and there was a large gap under and around the wall which would have provided easy access for rodents.

"In a rear yard, officers found rodent droppings.

"Old potatoes and potato peelings were visible, potentially providing sustenance for rodents."

She said that an area of panelling was removed to reveal grease marks and fur.

The couple both had blamed a trainee for not cleaning the property.

The court was told that they had signed a new contract with a pest controller and the Dudley Road premises had been cleaned and brought up to standard.

Defending herself, Mrs Gill said the couple had been going through personal difficulties at the time of the inspection, which happened in April, and she had been living away.

But she admitted: "The business is in both of our names and I should have been there as well.

"We're not really making any profit at the moment and we were under a lot of financial stress."

Mr Gill, who said that his responsibility was serving and being the general manager, apologised to the court and said that he was under "a lot of personal stress".

The couple were fined £600 each and both were told to pay £265 in costs and victim surcharge.