Mouse droppings in the Ocean

A Brighton restaurant has pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to keep its premises clean after council food safety officers discovered mouse droppings in a saucepan.

Palor Ltd., which runs the Ocean Restaurant at 43-45 Kings Road Brighton, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,862.50 following the hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court today.

At a food safety inspection 21st September 2012, officers from Brighton & Hove City Council found a mouse infestation in the kitchen, with droppings on shelving under the sink and wash hand basin and even in a saucepan. The business agreed to stop trading to clean up the kitchen and carry out further treatment.

Councillor Pete West, chair of the city’s environment committee, said: “It was lucky that customers did not become ill from food prepared under these conditions. The city council will not hesitate to take action in these extreme cases. Fortunately they are rare and both businesses and the council are working hard to ensure food hygiene standards are high in local establishments.”

Currently, of the 2,760 local food businesses on the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme 1,476 have the top grade of 5 out of five and 628 have four.