A Southall restaurant owner was fined more than £155,000 after council officers found staff handling food with unwashed hands and cooked food next to a filthy mop bucket.

Chini Chor, in South Road, was taken to court by Ealing Council's food safety team after the restaurant was found breaking food hygiene laws on two occasions.

The owner, Ravi Kumar Bakshi, pleaded guilty at Ealing Magistrates' Court on Monday (October 16) and was ordered to pay more than £155,000 in fines and costs of £2,810.

During two inspections, staff were seen handling foods without washed hands and the access to the sink was obstructed by colanders stored on the floor.

Cooked foods were stored next to a mop bucket and foods were placed in dirty cardboard boxes.

On top of that, equipment for preparing foods, such as a cheese grater, had build-ups of dirt and were not washed properly, council officers found.

As of Thursday (October 19), the restaurant has a food hygiene rating of one.

Councillor Ranjit Dheer, cabinet member for community services and safety at Ealing Council , said the Southall restaurant showed “no improvement” between the visits.

“Food hygiene is vitally important and businesses who aren't complying with the law won't be tolerated,” he said after the sentencing.

“Chini Chor showed no improvement from the council's first visit so we're pleased to see such a hefty fine being handed down to them.

“It shows that both the council and the courts are serious about enforcement and punishing those who openly break the rules.”

The owner of Chini Chor was fined more than £155,000 this week

During two inspections, on October 11 last year and January 9 this year, officers witnessed food hygiene offences at the business five and three times respectively.

The first inspection took place after a member of the public commented on the cleanliness of the premises and a subsequent visit was made to check compliance.

After flouting food hygiene laws, Bakshi was fined £20,000 for each of the first offences and £25,000 for each offence on the second visit.

There was a reduction of 15% for Bakshi's guilty plea in court.

This filthy mop bucket was found next to food in Chini Chor

Speaking after the sentencing, Cllr Dheer said that council officers work closely with local businesses to help them operate within the law and give advice in order to help them be well-run and safe.

The council’s regulatory services team advise food businesses to check that cleaning standards are being maintained and food safety procedures are implemented at all times.

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