Telford Chinese takeaway owner banned for poor food hygiene standards

A Chinese takeaway owner in Telford has been disqualified from running a food business by a court over a catalogue of failures identified during an inspection by Telford & Wrekin Council’s food hygiene inspectors.

China Star City 28 Ltd, known as China City, a takeaway in King Street, Dawley was inspected on 5 February this year.

The company and its director Ka-Fai Woo admitted five charges on Monday at Shropshire Magistrates, sitting in Telford. The magistrates said that the offences posed a significant risk to health.

The court heard that the premises had a food hygiene rating of 2 in 2014, 1 in 2017 and 0 in February 2018, before achieving 3 in August 2018.

Mr Woo, who has similar convictions from 2007, was disqualified from running a food business. This ban is indefinite and Mr Woo cannot apply to have it lifted for at least six months

The company and Mr Woo were each fined £960 with a victim surcharge of £96. Mr Woo is also to pay costs of £2,987.40

The court heard that food hygiene inspectors found dirty premises, out of date food, unacceptably greasy items such as oven top, rice cooker, deep fat fryer, pipework, ventilation canopy, knobs, switches and handles.

Sauce bottles were also encrusted with food, wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape. Greasy and dirty ice cream containers used to store food and raw beef was kept next to cooked chicken.

Open food containers were also found stacked on top of each other in the refrigerator.

Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said: “This is why we carry out food hygiene inspections. Every year our inspectors made hundreds of visits every year of premises that handle and serve food.

“I am glad to say that many of those inspections result in a top score of 5 but, where there are problems, they are identified and dealt with. The most serious of cases, such as this, result in court action.

“We have the safety of the public at heart and it is important they are confident that, wherever they choose to eat, whether it’s eat-in or take-out, that food is stored, handled and prepared safely and hygienically.”

The most up to date food hygiene ratings can be found here.