A FILTHY, mouse-infested fast-food takeaway had to be closed down by environmental health officers.
They immediately ordered Spice Land, on Hyde Road, Gorton, to cease trading when they found rodent faeces in the store room, rubble piled outside the rear and food spilling into the yard.
Owner Qasim Ellahi, 46, of Ellen Wilkinson Crescent, Longsight, admitted six offences under food hygiene regulations when he appeared before Manchester magistrates.
Married father-of-five Ellahi, who also runs an off-licence, has since reopened Spice Land for business after the takeaway was re-inspected and given the all-clear.
Malcolm Hope, prosecuting, said public protection officers from Manchester council visited the takeaway on January 24 following a complaint from neighbours.
They found building rubble and food waste spilling on to the cobbles at the rear of the property and spotted rat burrows and faeces as well as three chest freezers stacked against the wall.
Inside, they found the property in a `poor state of repair' with evidence of mice in the store room, with faeces on surfaces, cleaning equipment and in food storage bins.
Flaking paint and growing mildew were on the walls.
They shut the business immediately.
Four days later Ellahi phoned the council to say he was ready to re-open but when public protection officers visited again they found greasy bins and mouse droppings.
He was told the business had to remain closed.
When he was interviewed on March 19 Ellahi said the rubble at the rear of the takeaway was because of building work on the upstairs floor. He admitted there had been a `serious mouse infestation'.
Mr Hope said the business had posed a `significant risk to public health'. He said: "The situation has improved although I understand there are still some outstanding concerns as to the standards being maintained by this business both inside and outside the premises."
Craig Gee, defending, said public health officials had given the takeaway a clean bill of health and it was open for business again.
Ellahi led `an extremely busy life' opening his off-licence in Abbey Hey at 8am and closing the takeaway at 11pm.
The magistrates adjourned the case until August 20 for him to produce audited accounts before deciding any fine.
Outside court Ellahi confirmed Spice Land was open for business and said: "We are trying to improve."
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All food outlets should have their planning permission removed if they are caught breaking the hygeine rule more than once.and should have to pay for a 6monthly hygeine certificate before they can even open to the public..people die because of poor hygeine.
No need to fret. This business will reach its inevitable and rightful destination.
Just the tip of the iceberg.
They are all over Greater Manchester, and some in a darn site worse state.
You only have to look at the outside of the premises to form a opinion as to the hygiene standards of the inside.
Anyone who eats or buys a takeaway from these places, deserve all they get.
Pentest
Im in total agreement with you my wife and i never eat in these places im very suprised that the council allow these places to open and run these places.some are totally filthy and without a doubt unlicenced.why dont we in britain start to licence these filthy places and check them every six months as part of a clean up. if it was anything to do with driving they would be checked weekly.and fined heavily.
And they did a very nice
Rat atouille !!
They are all over the country actually...it isn't a 'Manchester' problem!
you only had to look at the place from the outside to see it was a cess pit.....some of my friends actually ate there! It was horrendous inside as well as out!
The woman who ran off with my ex used to get take-away rat **** from there all the time! I´m so happy!
Very harsh closing this place down. Rats have feelings to.
The food is lovely and wholesome there -- if you're a cat.
Someone ratted on him. His fast food had four legs.
MEN " The magistrates adjourned the case until August 20 for him to produce audited accounts before deciding any fine".
Why should it make any difference to the size of the fine? We are all equal before the law!
`an extremely busy life' How can that be a defence when this puts health and possibly life at risk for the sake of a bank account?. It must have been some state for it to have been closed on inspection, should remain closed until all "outstanding concerns" are dealt with. Does he let any of his kids eat the food from this take away?, probably not.
That used to be a pub!Or am i Wrong?