Former Snaith takeaway owner fined following discovery of rats and mouldy food at pizza shop

The former owner of Mario’s Pizza takeaway in Snaith has been fined over £1,000 after pleading guilty to a number of food hygiene offences.

 Attique Reza, of Harrogate Terrace, Bradford appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 where he pleaded guilty to seven offences under the food hygiene regulations in a prosecution brought by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The court heard how on April 1, 2015 officers from the council’s food services team had received a call from a pest control officer raising concerns that rats had been seen near Mario’s Pizza Takeaway, Market Place, Snaith, which at that point was owned by Reza.

On further inspection that same evening, officers found the premises were in a very dirty condition, that sinks and basins at the premises did not have a hot water supply, that food safety management of the business was not being carried out to an appropriate level and safety checks had not been completed.

Officers also found that food on the premises was mouldy and needed to be destroyed.

Reza was fined £170 for each of the seven offences, totalling £1,190 and he was also ordered to pay costs of £3,375 and a victim surcharge of £20 and was told by magistrates that the evidence brought before the court showed the conditions at the premises were very poor, that cross contamination was a serious risk and he had shown a total lack of care for food hygiene.

Since the council issued legal action on Reza, he sold the business and the new operators are working closely with food services officers.

Andrew Buxton, food services manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: “I am pleased that our officers have been vindicated in bringing Attique Reza to court on these matters.

“The council takes it duty to protect the health of consumers very seriously and it is important that the owners of food businesses understand that if they flaunt the food hygiene regulations, we may prosecute whether they still own the business or not.”

The food hygiene rating of all food businesses can be found on the Food Standards Agency website – www.fsa.org.uk