A North-west curry restaurant, which ignored nine improvement notices warning it to improve hygiene standards, has been hit with a massive £28,000 fine.
Mohammed Khan, of the Bilash Balti, Pendlebury, was found guilty of breaching hygiene regulations before Salford magistrates.
Khan had denied the charges at a preliminary hearing but failed to attend either the trial or sentencing hearing.
Environmental health officers told the court that when they inspected the restaurant they found surfaces coated with mould and grime. Additionally cooking equipment was found to be broken and staff poorly trained.
Over a period of nine months improvement notices were served on Khan, but none were fully complied with.
In mitigation it was said that hygiene standards had now been raised to an acceptable level at the restaurant. In addition to the fine Khan was also ordered to pay £2,300 costs.
After the case councillor Keith Mann, Salford City Council's lead member for environmental services, commented:
"Taking court action is always a last resort. In this case we had tried several times to help the restaurant to improve its standards which it ignored."
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By Andrew Smith
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