A Coventry food business operator has been fined a total of £3,280 after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences.
Mr Diyar Kadar, the Food Business Operator of 4 Ways Fine Foods, 177 Walsgrave Road, Coventry pleaded guilty to 3 hygiene offences at Coventry Magistrates Court on 29th January 2025.
Mr Kadar was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000 as well as a victim surcharge of £80.
Food & Safety Officers visited the business to undertake an unannounced food hygiene inspection following concerns raised about rotten fruit and vegetables in February 2024. During this visit, both cockroach and mouse activity was found inside the premises. The business agreed to voluntarily close as pest activity in food premises is deemed an imminent risk to health.
After voluntarily closing, the business carried out pest control treatment, cleaning and proofing. Once no further evidence of pests were found and no imminent risk to health remained, the business was then able to reopen.
Officers revisited on 13th March 2024 where it was noted that cleaning standards had been maintained and there was no evidence of any mice or cockroaches.
When questioned about the poor conditions found, Mr Kadar admitted the offences and said he had tried to treat the mouse problem and clean regularly but hadn’t realised how bad the infestation was as he had not been spending as much time as he would have liked at the shop due to family circumstances.
Mr Kadar pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- Failure to put in place adequate procedures to control pests
- Failure to keep the premises clean
- Failure to protect food from contamination
The business was subject to an unannounced food hygiene inspection in September 2024 where it received a food hygiene rating of 3 (generally satisfactory).
Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, and Deputy Leader at Coventry City Council, said: “It is vital that people running food businesses in Coventry have adequate procedures in place to ensure the safety of the food they sell at all times, even when they themselves are not able to be present at the business.”
“This is a reminder to all Food Business Operators to ensure they have suitably trained staff on their procedures such as checking for pests every day to prevent a problem like this escalating and causing a risk to health.”
“We would encourage all residents to report unsatisfactory food hygiene conditions found in food businesses in Coventry to ehcommercial@coventry.gov.uk or call 08085834333.”
Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead for Regulation and Communities in the city, said: “We take a staged approach to enforcement, and wherever possible, officers will always try to work with businesses offering advice and guidance but will take the necessary actions if they feel there is a risk to health.
“On this occasion, closing the premises was necessary to ensure consumers were not put at risk, and the business worked with the team to make the necessary changes to reopen the premises as soon as possible.”