Rat activity and dirty conditions found at two Lancashire food premises

At Blackburn Magistrates Court on January 29, both Golden Harvest Foods Ltd of Victoria Yard, Victoria St, Clayton-le-Moors and Double Decker Diner of 8-10 Church Street, Accrington pleaded guilty to food hygiene offences that were found during Council officer visits in late 2023.

Both premises have since remedied the problems identified and have taken steps to improve matters to prevent future recurrence.

What did they find?

In October 2023, Environmental Health Officers from Hyndburn Borough Council’s Food and Safety Team made a visit to Golden Harvest Foods Ltd, a snack food manufacturer based in Clayton-le-Moors. They found evidence of widespread pest activity in food production areas, obvious pest proofing issues and a serious lack of cleanliness which presented a risk of food contamination.

The business voluntarily agreed to close and was not permitted to reopen until standards were improved and the premises was free of pests. A council spokesman said: “The level of pest activity found indicated that the problems had existed for some time and the business had not taken any responsible action to address the problems until prompted by officers.”

Golden Harvest Foods Ltd pleaded guilty to three charges under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £3,772.86 costs.

In relation to Double Decker Diner, in November 2023, following concerns raised by a member of the public, an Environmental Health Officer from the Council’s Food and Safety Team visited the business. They found obvious evidence of longstanding rodent activity including a decomposing rat and droppings throughout the premises. In addition, the officer found issues with cleanliness of both structure and equipment, waste storage issues, and a failure to protect food against contamination.

The business agreed to close until matters were resolved. The business owner pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £800 costs and a £200 victim surcharge.

What’s the current situation?

Both premises have since remedied the problems identified and have taken steps to improve matters to prevent future recurrence. After uncovering the problems, officers revisited both businesses frequently to ensure that improved standards were being maintained, and officers are satisfied that both businesses are now operating to a satisfactory standard.

Councillor Melissa Fisher, Deputy Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council and Portfolio Holder for Environmental Health said: “The hygiene regulations are in place for a very important reason – to protect public health. All food businesses must operate in clean, pest free and safe conditions. It is concerning that it took an officer’s visit to prompt these businesses to take basic measures to ensure that food served to customers was safe.

“Businesses must take responsibility for the circumstances in which they trade and take appropriate action to ensure they are free of pests and that premises are kept in a clean, hygienic condition to ensure that food served to customers is safe.

“Officers have a range of enforcement tools available to help secure compliance in failing businesses and the decision to prosecute a business is not taken lightly. It is a sanction that is reserved for the most serious cases of non-compliance, or for those businesses that consistently fail to comply. These cases demonstrate that the Council will take a firm stance and is willing to use its full range enforcement powers where it is appropriate.

“Our Food and Safety team is committed to monitoring standards in all food businesses and driving up standards to help ensure that everyone can eat out safely and with confidence. Food safety officers are happy to offer free advice and support to all businesses and encourage any business unsure about the food hygiene requirements to get in contact with the team, rather wait until their next inspection.”