Baker banned from running any food business after bird and mice found on premises
A baker whose premises were infested with mice and had a robin flying around inside has been banned from running a food business and told to pay more than £7,000.
Environmental health officers found a robin flying around the bakery on two visits, even taking a picture of it perching on a crate.
Portsmouth City Council charged Justin O'Malley, who ran Portsmouth Bakers, with five food hygiene charges including failing to keep the premises clean, failing to control pests, failing to have a proper food safety monitoring system and two counts of failing to obey an improvement notice.
He didn't turn up to his trial last week and was found guilty in his absence. He was fined £5,000, ordered to pay £2,220 costs. In addition he was banned from operating a food business in the UK - the first such ban the council has obtained.
Environmental health officers made repeated visits to the bakery after O'Malley took it over in May 2010, making numerous recommendations, but despite some efforts to address the problems cleanliness in the bakery deteriorated. They saw mouse droppings, and spotted a robin on two occasions, as well as a build-up of food debris, grease and dirt throughout.
Alan Cufley, head of service for environmental health at Portsmouth council, said: "We believe he was supplying local businesses with rolls, cakes and other products. We gave him chances to put things right, but our job is about protecting the public, and we had no choice but to prosecute.
"The ban imposed by the court is an unusual step, and shows the seriousness of the offences."
The bakery changed hands before the court case and the current business on the site has no connection with O'Malley. The pictures were all taken during an inspection on 16 November 2011.
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