Red Hot World Buffet fined £21,000 for hygiene offences
Red Hot World Buffet has been ordered to pay £21,000 for a series of health and safety breaches at its now closed Liverpool site.
According to http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/disgusting-pictures-show-mouse-infestation-11909269" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">The Liverpool Echo the business, which went into administration in June, was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £7,000 costs.
Liverpool Magistrates Court heard that the owner, Passepartout Ltd, had failed to satisfactorily address issues found at inspections at its Liverpool site as early as January 2015 when mouse droppings were found by inspection officers on equipment washing areas and shelving.
Johnathan Ball, prosecuting on behalf of Liverpool City Council, said the environmental health officers "photographed oven gloves covered with grease and food debris".
He added: "A significant amount of mouse droppings were found littered throughout the first floor kitchen. Droppings were found alongside containers of sauce and dried food, on plastic container lids, next to ice cream scoops and near metal racking used to cool cooked foods."
The restaurant was ordered to close and allowed to reopen 10 days later after being given a clean bill of health. But further inspections in September 2015 found more mouse droppings along with beetle larvae. This time the restaurant continued trading, though the bar area was closed.
Pictures from the inspections show live mice stuck in traps and beetle larvae on equipment.
District Judge Wendy Lloyd said: "Everything in this case indicates that the standards held by Red Hot Buffet fell very far below the standards that any customer would expect."
But she added that there was no evidence anyone had been made ill by its food.
Red Hot World Buffet called in the administrators in June, with the Liverpool site closing the same month.
