Landlords fined £8,000 for mouse-infested restaurant

Two men have been fined £4,000 each after droppings and a dead mouse were found at the Dolphin pub and restaurant in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth City Council prosecuted Dale Alan and Ian Young after environmental health officers found mouse droppings in food and equipment cupboards, on shelves for glasses in the bar, under work benches and behind freezers.

The kitchen, wash area and bar were found to be dirty, while neither soap or paper towels were available at the kitchen hand basin.

Alan and Young offered to close the pub voluntarily and perform a deep clean. But further inspections showed continued problems.

The council said it had prosecuted because the men couldn't explain the poor standard of cleanliness or inadequate pest precautions, despite being aware of the problems.

Alan Cufley, head of service for environmental health at the council, said: "We take cases like this very seriously. Public health was compromised at the Dolphin because of a clear disregard for food safety. Food hygiene is of prime importance, and we cannot tolerate poor standards and behaviour that puts customers at risk.”

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