People and communities
Walsall food business temporarily closed by Environmental Health officers
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Walsall food business temporarily closed by Environmental Health officers
On September 15 an environmental health officer visited The Tannery in Day Street Walsall as a result of a food complaint made by a member of the public regarding mouldy bread. The officer proceeded to the kitchen where he witnessed numerous rat droppings on the floor and shelving throughout.
Contraventions noted included food debris under equipment, droppings on shelving, floor and foodstuffs, gnawing of plastic food containers, a hole in the rear exit doors leading to the car park, no food safety management system and a very poor cleaning regime.
Environmental Health officers determined that there was an imminent risk to the health of the public, therefore a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was issued and this saw the business temporarily closed down.
A visit was made on September 16 with the business owner and his pest control contractor. Further investigation revealed large holes around the extraction unit which was housed in a cupboard behind the servery in the shop. Droppings, smear marks and paw prints were noted in the dust of the canopy. The business was left with a schedule of work and the pest control company heavily baited the premises.
Another visit was made to the business on Tuesday 20 September. The pest control contractors were also in attendance. The business had made good progress and the pest control removed all bait.
Council officers attended Walsall Magistrates court on September 20 2022. The Magistrate, upon seeing the photographic evidence, concluded that the Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice had been correctly served and issued the Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order. Officer costs were awarded to the council of £350. The Order was delivered to the business and it was allowed to open.
“ Our environmental health professionals deserve our collective thanks for all they quietly do to keep us, as consumers, safe. Poor food hygiene procedures are something we should all be concerned about because they can make us very ill or in extreme cases cause death. I would always advocate checking the food hygiene rating of anywhere you plan to eat in or buy a takeaway from. “
