Shoreham restaurant hit with fine

Adur District Council said it was forced to take legal action against The Curry Place in Shoreham High Street, because it had become a health hazard.

Restaurant owner Amin Ullah pleaded guilty to seven food hygiene offences when he appeared at Worthing Magistrates' Court last Wednesday.

He was ordered to pay a total of 5,080.10 in fines within 14 days.

The offences included failure to have a documented food safety system, failing to keep the kitchen clean and in a good state of repair and condition and leaving high risk foods out at dangerous temperatures putting the public in danger of food poisoning.

Ullah was fined 2,000 for failure to comply with two Hygiene Improvement Notices and 250 for each of the five other offences.

Costs of 1,830.10 were awarded to the council.

The court heard that Ullah had initially been warned about his poor food hygiene practices in 2005.

He was given a chance by Adur council to have a free coaching session on how to produce a documented food safety system, but he left early to have a haircut. Further visits revealed no improvements.

The court heard that Adur council's environmental health officer Paula Mitton visited the restaurant on several occasions.

She said: "On one of my visits I found bowls of cooked rice and cooked chicken left standing uncovered in the kitchen, at risk of contamination from flying insects.

"Using a temperature probe I could tell that the food had been standing there a long time.

"I concluded that food safety was not taken seriously at this establishment."

In his defence, Ullah said he had told the council the restaurant had taken on more work and the kitchen lacked the capacity to cope.

He had drawn up proposals to increase the size of the kitchen and to act on the council's recommendations.

After the case, Adur council stated it will continue to keep a close eye on developments and has already noted some improvements at the premises.