Pizza boss fined after ‘large brown rat' runs over inspector's foot

A pizza takeaway boss has been ordered to pay more than £1,600 after a "large brown rat" ran over a hygiene inspector's foot.

Pizza Planet in Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire, was closed down for more than two weeks and given a food hygiene rating of zero after inspectors found rats and filthy conditions.

The team from Stroud District Council made two visits in September and November 2018. On the second visit the rat ran across the floor and over the inspector's feet before disappearing through a hole.

This week, appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court, operator Ali Izadi admitted four offences under food safety legislation and one under the Licensing Act.

He was fined £640, ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £32.

Jon Beckett, head of health and wellbeing, at Stroud District Council said: "Food inspectors always act quickly to ensure that poor standards of food hygiene are dealt with and most businesses respond well. However, it is occasionally necessary to take legal action to deal with the worst cases.

"It is often claimed that poor food hygiene ratings are simply down to a lack of paperwork. Nothing could be further from the truth. Poor ratings are generally an indication of serious food hygiene failures that could lead to illness.

"We would urge all consumers to take note of the food hygiene ratings displayed on green window stickers in premises or on the food hygiene rating website."