A takeaway owner has been successfully prosecuted after mouse droppings were found throughout the premises.

On November 17, 2017 an Oldham Council Environmental Health Officer carried out a routine food hygiene inspection at Ashis Takeway.

The officer found droppings on food preparation surfaces, shelving and on the floor at the Oxford Street eatery.

The cleaning was also found to be poor and the chopping boards were worn and dirty.

The hand wash basin was dirty and there was no hand drying facilities.

Following the inspection the takeaway owners voluntarily closed the premises.

Officers revisited the premises four days later and allowed it to reopen.

On January 9 Nishat Afzal, 53 of Morris Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Safety Hygiene (England) Regulations Act 2013 at Tameside Magistrates’ Court.

He was ordered to pay a fine of £1,000, costs of £1,100 and victim surcharge of £30

Councillor Arooj Shah, Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Food business owners who run dirty premises are putting the health of their customers at risk – and as a council we will not stand for that.

“Owners must comply with food hygiene laws or we will take action and name and shame them.”

All food businesses inspected by the council are given a rating based on their compliance with the legal requirements for hygiene, structural condition and confidence in the management.

Following a food hygiene inspection a business is rated from five for a very good through to zero for those premises that need to improve urgently.

It is voluntary for the businesses to display the rating but gives the consumer an indication of its overall level of food hygiene compliance.

All Oldham food business ratings are on the Food Standards Agency website http://ratings.food.gov.uk/QuickSearch.aspx