West Midlands Turkish restaurant ordered to close due to mouse infestation

A Turkish restaurant in Birmingham has been forced to shut down following the discovery of a mouse infestation.

Environmental health officers from Birmingham City Council discovered problems at Istanbul Restaurant, in Stockwell Road, Handsworth, during a routine inspection on September 8.

At a hearing on Thursday, September 10, Birmingham Magistrates were told mouse droppings were discovered in a number of areas within the premises.

Environmental health officer Damiana Moxham told the court she discovered droppings on work surfaces, by a staircase going up to the servery, on an oil drum, behind rice cookers, on catering foil and next to a display chiller.

She also discovered no soap on a hand basin, dirty shelving in the walk in fridge, food stored on the floor in the walk in fridge and a leaking pipe.

On the day of the inspection,  a hygiene notice was served and the business given a schedule of works to complete to rectify the issues.

She said: “Mice are agile and can climb through tiny holes. They defecate and urinate as they go. They have been on work surfaces defecating and urinating as they go.

“I decided there was an imminent risk to health, a lack of effective cleaning practices and food being at risk of contamination.”

During the hearing, Ms Moxham said the business had told her they were not quite ready for a reinspection at that stage but asked her to return on Friday (September 11).

Magistrates granted a hygiene emergency prohibition order which means the restaurant cannot reopen until the risk to public health has been eliminated.