Suspended sentence and ban for former Telford pizza takeaway owner
A former Telford takeaway owner that kept cooked chicken in a washing up bowl, surrounded by flies, has been sentenced in court.
At a sentencing hearing, yesterday at Shrewsbury Crown Court, the former owner of a pizza takeaway in Telford has been given a suspended sentence and banned from running a food business for putting people’s lives at risk through his lack of understanding of food hygiene.
Daulat Khan was the owner of ‘Pizza Boss’ in Ketley Bank from 2015 to September 2019 when it ceased trading after a history of poor food hygiene, achieving ratings from 0 to 2 out of 5 in food hygiene inspections.
On 8 July 2019 before Shropshire Magistrates sitting in Telford, Mr Khan pleaded guilty to four charges under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
What inspectors found
The court heard evidence that in August 2018, inspectors had discovered unwrapped raw burgers kept on a dirty shelf. Cooked chicken at room temperature in a washing up bowl surrounded by flies. While a donner meat block on its spit, at room temperature, was reheated each time a customer ordered a kebab. It was 31 degrees when it should have been at least 63.
Inspectors also found dirt and food debris on the floor, under the sinks and in a microwave, dirty refrigerator door seals and a hole in the ceiling. There was a damaged and dirty chest freezer lid, an extremely dirty food processor and no soap for staff at the hand wash basin in the toilet area.
Laughed at food safety issues
Mr Khan told inspectors that the kitchen was cleaned monthly. He laughed when discussing the food safety issues and was not concerned about the state of the premises.
A further inspection in September 2018 showed that serious issues had still not been addressed and food was being held at too high or too low a temperature and therefore posing a risk to health. Mr Khan still did not accept the risk of constantly reheating cooked kebab meat.
The offences were considered so serious that the case was sent to Shrewsbury Crown court for sentencing.
Sentencing at Shrewsbury Crown Court
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, solicitor Catherine Girvan prosecuting on behalf of Telford & Wrekin Councils described conditions within the takeaway. She said: “There was a lot of very dirty equipment and evidently no cleaning of the premises. The whole place was dirty. There had been no attempt to keep the premises clean and there was no soap for staff in washbasins.”
Mr Khan was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for one year. He has also been banned from having any part in running a food business in future.
Sentencing Mr Khan, Recorder Judge Richard Jones QC described the offences as “very, very serious” and that the sentence included a “deterrent element”. In banning Mr Khan from running a food business again, the Judge said: “The imposition of a hygiene prohibition order was absolutely right given the offences.”
Importance of food inspections
Councillor Richard Overton is Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement, he commented:
“The seriousness of this case shows the importance of our work in protecting and caring for the people we serve. Our inspectors carry out thorough checks on the premises they visit on how food is handled and prepared, how the premises are managed and how it is all documented.
“We have the safety of the public at heart. It is vital that, whether it’s eaten in or taken out, the food is stored, handled, prepared and served properly and safely.”
