Preston KFC may lose 5-star rating after inspection

Inspectors were called in after they received a number of complaints

The man widely circulated photos which he claimed to be the inside of Kentucky Fried Chicken's kitchen at Fishergate, Preston, on local Facebook forums..

Preston Council's environmental health department visited the fast food outlet, the first KFC to open outside the US and Canada in 1965, and discovered some minor breaches of hygiene.

They said while only "minor" issues had been found, it was "likely" the premises could lose its current five-star hygiene rating, the best possible - when reviewed next.

The pictures circulated by the man claiming to be a former worker claimed to show greasy fryers at the fast food restaurant, a post which was widely shared before being taken down.

The photos have not been verified as showing the Preston restaurant.

A Preston City Council spokesman confirmed that senior inspectors visited the KFC on August 16 following the complaints.

The spokesman said: "Senior Environmental Health Technician Gillian Hall received a number of complaints this morning and visited the premises within an hour of receiving those complaints.

"Some breaches of food hygiene legislation were found, and these are being addressed by the company.

"While we are not in a position to disclose full details at this time, the items noted were mostly minor in nature.

"None of the issues required emergency prohibition powers or legal notices to be served, although the rating of the premises will be reviewed and is likely to change from the current rating of 5, which was awarded in February 2016.

"The Council’s proactive work with Preston food businesses is extensive – officers made over 1,000 visits to premises last year – with over half of the food businesses achieving a food hygiene rating of 5. It is easy to make an appointment to talk to the team through the Council’s website and I would encourage businesses with a rating of 0, 1 or 2 to work with the team to find a lasting solution."

A spokesman for KFC said: “Our Fishergate restaurant did have a visit from the EHO this week, who found no food safety or health and safety critical issues in our restaurant, which has the best possible hygiene rating of 5/5.

"However, we’re always working to make sure our restaurants are the best they can be, so we’ll be taking all of the EHO’s suggestions on board.”