A man from Oldham has appeared before the courts after a restaurant in West Yorkshire was found to have issues with food hygiene including rodent infestations and mould.

Sameer Abass, of Thurland Road, Oldham, appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court on October 31, where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of failing to comply with EU provision concerning food safety and hygiene.

Most of the food hygiene breaches were found to have taken place at The Village Pizzeria in Halifax during an inspection in October 2022.

There was also a breach in March 2022 when Abass, 23, failed to notify the local authority that ownership of the business had changed by way of a food registration form.

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In terms of the hygiene issues found at the restaurant between October 26 and 28, 2022, rodent infestations were identified, while mould growth was present on the chopping boards.

The inspectors also found that work tops, surfaces and other areas were dirty, while the heavy duty can opener and surrounding areas were encrusted with food and dirt.

Issues concerning the washing up areas included the fact the sealant around the kitchen sink had turned black with mould and could no longer be cleaned or disinfected, the hand basin and taps in the kitchen were dirty and there were no soap or hygienic hand drying facilities at the washing basin.

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Other issues included the dough mixer being dirty with encrusted flour, indicating it had not been washed, the fridges being extremely dirty and the shelves were dirty.

Abass was handed a hygiene prohibition order for two years, meaning he cannot trade with any food-related activity for two years.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of £844, a victim surcharge of £338 and court costs of £695, bringing his total costs to £1,877.