Restaurant boss fined for mouse infestation

A RESTAURANT manager was today fined £800 for having a large mouse infestation at his Edinburgh city centre premises.

The city's sheriff court heard Tony Dong, 30, failed to ensure the premises were kept clean and that mouse droppings, dirt and food debris were allowed to accumulate on the floor behind and below equipment.

Fiscal depute Faith Currie said the state of The Star Sea restaurant at the city's Lady Lawson Street was discovered after a routine hygiene inspection and was immediately closed down.

The court also heard that four packets of flour and noodles that mice had been feeding on were rewrapped for use on the premises and mice droppings could be seen on shelving adjacent to plates.

Staff were also observed not washing their hands despite handling raw and ready to eat food products.

Restaurant manager Dong, of Salamander Court, Edinburgh, admitted three charges under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and a further charge under the General Food Regulations 2004.

The court heard that after the inspection on June 16 last year the restaurant had closed down but was re-opened three days later after a certificate of health risk was removed. The Star Sea has since been inspected on a number of occasions and there have been no further incidents, the court was told.

Sheriff Frank Crowe said: "The public take a dim view of a situation like this where you allow the premises to be dirty and there are mice in the premises eating the food with a risk of illness. No doubt that has had an affect on the business as you had to close down in the aftermath of the incident."

He added that had the case gone to trial the fine would have been 1,000.