A takeaway restaurant has been closed until further notice after its kitchen was found to be dangerously filthy and infested with mice.
Health inspectors visited Ranna in Walthamstow, north-east London, last week after receiving a complaint from a customer.
They discovered evidence of a ‘significant rodent infestation’, council officials say, including mouse droppings over food preparation, storage areas and the rest of the property.
Other finds included clumps of dirt and grease which indicated a complete lack of food safety procedures, the local authority added.
The owners, who are registered as Saar Takeaway Limited, were told the state of their restaurant was a ‘risk to public health’ and ordered to pay costs of £1,096.
They have since carried out a major clean-up as well as repairs and pest control measures.
The venue will remain closed until inspectors confirm the infestation has been fully dealt with.
Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, cabinet member for community safety at Waltham Forest Council, said after the hearing: ‘I shudder to think how long this risk to public health might have remained were it not for the swift and decisive actions of Council Environmental Health Officers.
‘Rather than just a means of punishment, I hope this closure order sets the proprietors on the right course towards improving their health and safety practices permanently and restoring the confidence of their customers as well as the council.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
