Restaurant fined £50,000 for serving food on boards ‘incapable' of being cleaned

A Birmingham restaurant has been fined £50,000 after magistrates ruled wooden boards it had been serving food on put customers at risk of food poisoning.

Inspectors said the boards used at Ibrahim's Grill and Steak House in Acocks Green were "incapable" of being cleaned.

Birmingham City Council had visited the restaurant in October 2016 following allegations of an outbreak of food poisoning affecting a party of 14.

Inspectors raised a number of concerns about the cleanliness of the restaurant, including the use of the boards and a reliance on staff using disposable gloves rather than washing their hands.

Improvements were reported on a return visit two months later, but the boards were still in use.

On Thursday Ibrahim's Grill and Steak House admitted failing to comply with a hygiene improvement notice.

As well as the £50,000 fine the restaurant must pay £670 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

Mark Croxford, head of environmental health at Birmingham City Council, said: "It is completely unacceptable for businesses to put the health of people eating at their restaurants at risk.

"The owners were given sound advice which they chose to ignore. I am pleased magistrates supported our efforts with a large fine and hope advice we give on improving businesses to protect health will not be ignored in future."

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