Rat droppings found in West Yorkshire bistro's filthy kitchen, court told

Two inspections at The Fox Bar and Bistro on Oldham Road in Ripponden revealed filthy surfaces and out of date, mouldy food that was unfit for human consumption.

Menir Khan, sentencing at Calderdale Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Sept 19), said: “We believe the case fits into the high culpability.

“There were a number of failings and a number of instances that the local authority issued advice that was not acted upon.

“We think there was a high risk. Temperature issues, food well past its sell by date, rat droppings.

“There was a complete disregard for cleanliness and hygiene.”

The court heard that during two inspections at the Fox, on November 11, 2015, and January 27, 2016, inspectors found a food container stored on the kitchen floor, a box with dead insects and several putrefied items of food.

A joint of beef had been stored above the legally required temperature for what was believed to have been several days and a pack of salmon that was more than 40 days past its used by date was stored in a chiller.

A yellow chopping board used in the kitchen was dirty and the interior of the fridge, in which fish and milk was stored, had congealed cream stuck to the bottom.

Claire Farrimond, prosecuting, said: “There was an imminent risk to public health.”

Ben Williams, mitigating, said: “Nothing about this prosecution suggests that he deliberately ignored anything. It is certainly a company that has failed but there was nothing deliberate.

“There were measures in place they just weren’t good enough.