IN PICTURES: Luton food business operator prosecuted and banned indefinitely

Mr Quadeer Hussain of Claremont Road, Luton, pleaded guilty to 12 food hygiene offences and one Health and Safety offence in Luton Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, January 6, he was fined £4,370, with £1,205 costs and a surcharge of £181. Mr Hussain has also been prohibited from operating a food business indefinitely following repeated failures to improve standards of cleanliness, structural hygiene and electrical safety. A food safety officer carried out a routine inspection at HT Curry, on High Town Road, on 21 June 2018, they found suspected cockroach activity after discovering dead cockroaches in the ceiling light covers. As a result, sticky traps were laid and checked the next day, which confirmed an active and untreated cockroach infestation. The food safety inspector also found poor standards of cleanliness with greasy equipment and poor structural standards, including unsafe electrics, cracked tiles, bare wooden surfaces and poor food handling practices. The business was closed immediately and issued with a schedule of works to improve structural standards, Hygiene Improvement Notices and a Health and Safety Improvement Notice were also served. When the inspector revisited to check compliance with the notices, Mr Hussain had failed to complete the necessary works and both sets of offences were sent to the Magistrate’s for prosecution. The business has since closed with Mr Hussain stating he no longer wishes to operate a food business. Cllr Aslam Khan, portfolio holder for public protection, said: "It is essential that food business owners take their responsibilities seriously when operating a food business and they must be directly involved with that business to ensure the safety of members of the public. All food businesses must have adequate procedures in place to monitor and control pests, and we strongly advise that a permanent pest control contract is in place. Effective pest control also includes having good standards of cleanliness. We will not hesitate to take action where businesses fail to put the safety of the public first.” Luton Today contacted HT Curry for comment.