MOUSE droppings and cockroach activity were found by environmental health officers at an Oldham town centre takeaway food business.

The company Montana Fried Chicken Ltd and Mr Nzar Hassan, who attended on behalf of the company and in his personal capacity as director, have now been successfully prosecuted for breaching food safety laws.

In March last year, a council offer carried out a food hygiene inspection at the business on Yorkshire Street, Oldham.

The inspection exposed insufficient procedures in place to control pests and the premises were not being cleaned to an adequate standard.

Moreover, food debris and grease were also found on the equipment.

In February this year Hasan and Montana Fried Chicken pleaded guilty to offences under the Food Safety Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Tameside Magistrates’ Court.

On March 21 the company was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay contribution costs of £400 plus a victim surge of £170, paying an overall total of £2,570.

Hassan was also fined £416 and ordered to pay contribution costs of £400 plus a victim surge of £42, making a total of £858.

Helen Lockwood, deputy chief executive of Oldham Council, said: “As a council we are committed to ensuring businesses are complying with food hygiene laws and we have prosecuted a number of businesses that have failed to meet these standards.

“Many of the food businesses in the borough – 93 per cent - have a food hygiene rating of 3 or above. Unfortunately a small percentage of business owners are still not meeting the standards.

“This small minority of businesses need to keep their premises clean and not wait until our officers have visited to make the necessary changes.”

All food businesses 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 a zero for those premises that need to improve urgently.

It is voluntary for the business to 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