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Lye butchers temporarily shut down after council officers find evidence of rats - firm issued with fine

A butcher in Lye was temporarily shut down after environmental health officers discovered evidence rats were in the shop.

By James Vukmirovic
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Your Local Butchers, on Lye High Street, was hit with the closure order in March last year following a visit by Dudley Council.

As well as evidence of rat activity, environmental health officers reported several areas of the shop were dirty and equipment used for food preparation had not been properly cleaned.

Areas of the shop were found to be dirty and equipment used for food preparation had not been properly cleaned.
Areas of the shop were found to be dirty and equipment used for food preparation had not been properly cleaned.

They also found no hand drying materials available at the hand wash basin, food safety procedures not being implemented and insufficient staff training in food hygiene.

It was allowed to reopen shortly after when officers were satisfied the health risk had been removed. 

The bins were found to be covered in dirt and food mess
The bins were found to be covered in dirt and food mess

But its two directors appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court this week to admit hygiene offences on behalf of themselves and the company.

Zeeshan Shaukat, 43, and Nadeem Hussain, 47, were both fined £300 and ordered to each pay a £120 victim surcharge.

Work surfaces were found to have not been cleaned properly
Work surfaces were found to have not been cleaned properly

In addition, the company was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge totalling an additional £2,959.75.

Councillor Phil Atkins, cabinet member for development and regulation, said: “Finding evidence of rats in a food business is completely unacceptable and poses a significant risk to public health.

There was evidence of rat droppings and other mess around the butchers
There was evidence of rat droppings and other mess around the butchers

“I commend our environmental health officers, who acted swiftly and decisively to shut the premises down to protect the public until its owners could prove it was safe to reopen again.

“I hope this serves as a clear reminder to all food businesses that maintaining high standards of cleanliness and pest control is not optional, it’s the law.”